Brand New World
by LordFrieza
Summary: After receiving a lot of PM requests to continue the It's a Better First Time story line I decided to go ahead and do a full story on Saya and Kohta. Basically the story is happening in a way that my own mind perceives it, but I am going to stay close to the characters. Instead of retelling everything I'm going from the shopping Center on. This story is mainly based on the anime
1. Chapter 1

_**(AN: I've been asked a couple of times if I was going to do a full story over Saya and Kohta. Originally I was just going to leave my dabbling in Highschool of the Dead with my Flash Fiction featuring the two of them; however, since I've received a few PMs from different people, and all asking if I would consider expanding on the It's a Better First Time. And if I didn't do that then would I please do a story over the two of them specifically… At any rate here is my first multi-chapter story for Highschool of the Dead. Basically the story is going to follow the anime, and what I've gleamed from Wikipedia. That said there are going to be a few bits that I've basically had to improvise in the Shopping Center. I'm going to be drawing inspiration from the original Dawn of the Dead, and the Dawn of the Dead Remake for what the inside of the Center looks like and go from there. I've ILL (Inter Library Loaned) the entire Manga series, but it's going to take a while for it to get here. I hope you enjoy it. Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – Introduction : Desperation and Need**_

_**Don't give up should you fall  
Keep on searchin' for the passway  
That will lead you through the wall  
Don't look back or you'll be left behind  
Don't look back or you will never find peace of mind: Desperation by Steppenwolf**_

(Shopping Center – Food court)

"Takagi, are you hungry?" Kohta asked as he stood behind the Dillian's Burger Shot.

"Do I look hungry you fat Otaku?" Saya asked in a huff.

"No, it's just that I thought you could be hungry. None of us have really eaten since we escaped from your… I'm sorry," he said.

She looked at him and sadly shook her head. It was obvious he wasn't trying to start an argument, but she didn't feel like going into it. Her father and mother had abandoned her, and in their decision they left her in Kohta's care. She walked toward one of the tables in the food court and took a seat.

"I don't think he was exactly asking for your hand in marriage," a voice said.

"What would you know about it?" she shot the question.

"I know Kohta is a respectable sort of man. He's a rare breed that's not often seen anymore, and for some reason he seems to care a great deal about you," the other person said.

Saya turned and looked at the young patrol woman who was studying Kohta intently.

"Really, what do you know?" Saya asked.

"Enough to see something worth having,"

Saya growled at her and turned to look at Kohta who was fixing dinner for what she supposed was everyone in both survivor groups. It was obvious that the chubby Otaku cared for people, and it was a good trait to have, but he just didn't seem to understand the way things were now.

"Kohta, is that meat still good?" Saeko asked.

"It's still cold, which means it's still good, but we need to prepare it so that it doesn't go bad. We'll need to start checking the grocery store out and seeing what kind of canned foods it has. Anything that requires a microwave to prepare may be alright, but we still need to be wary," he said.

"HELP ME!" a voice screamed out.

Kohta stopped what he was doing and looked over at Takashi. The two of them nodded and ran toward the direction the scream had come from.

"Where the hell is it?" Takashi asked.

"NO STOP! PLEASE STOP!" the voice screamed out louder than before.

"Over there!" Kohta shouted.

They ran toward the direction Kohta said and found a locked office door. Takashi banged against it, but was unable to get it open. Kohta helped him and the weight of them both caused the wood to splinter and bust. When it did Kohta looked to see Miss Shizuka pinned under a large security guard. The guard growled at them and hurled a letter open toward Takashi.

"Get the fuck out! This bitch is mine!" The guard growled.

Takashi started to move forward, but stopped when he heard the click of a gun cocking. He turned to look at Kohta who was holding Takagi's luger in his right hand.

"You ain't gonna shot me you little pussy. You ain't got the balls!" the guard shouted.

Kohta pulled the trigger and nailed the guard between the eyes. The large man fell back against the wall and slid down it. Kohta walked around toward Miss Shizuka who was crying intensely.

"Miss Shizuka are you okay?" Kohta asked.

"What was that noise?" Asami asked as she stepped into the room.

"He was trying to hurt her," Takashi said.

"Come on, let's get out of here okay?" Kohta said to Miss Shizuka as he helped her up.

The four of them walked back toward the food court until Miss Shizuka stopped. Kohta looked at her as she looked at herself in a mirror – which was on a store front – and she began to shake.

"My blouse… My friend got this for me for Christmas. It's ruined," she said.

"Miss Shizuka," Kohta said before the blond woman began to burst into tears.

She went to the floor and began to violently weep. Asami walked back toward her and soon the sound brought Saya, Rei, and Saeko. They looked at each other in a state of confusion until Takashi explained what happened, and what Kohta had done. Saeko's eyes narrowed as she walked toward Miss Shizuka and knelt down beside her.

"You are all right now," Saeko said.

"He… He said that he was hurt… I was just going to treat his wounds, but then he…" she explained between the gasps and sobs.

"Why don't we go find a place to sit down?" Rei asked as she neared Miss Shizuka.

"No! I need… I need a new Blouse!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Saya asked.

"Why don't we go into one of the shops and find you one then," Asami said.

Slowly Miss Shizuka stood and nodded. She followed Saeko, Rei, and Asami into one of the clothing stores as Takashi, Kohta, and Saya watched.

"Who was it?" Saya asked once she was sure Miss Shizuka was out of ear shot.

"It was the security guard. He faked his injuries and then locked her in a room with him," Takashi answered.

"God, it could have been any one of us," Saya said.

"He specifically chose Miss Shizuka because of her personality. Creeps like that exist everywhere. I saw dozens of them back in school. They were the same ones that liked to pick on me, and they liked to find the girls who were innocent enough to believe anything they said," Kohta said.

"Wow, that's surprisingly insightful," Saya remarked.

"You tend to learn a lot about people when you have to stand on the outside long enough," Kohta said before he smiled his crooked smile.

"What about the other survivors? I don't think they are going to like the fact that one of their own was gunned down," Takashi said.

"He would have targeted them at some point and if they have a brain among them they'll understand that," Saya replied.

"They might not want to. We're new here, and they may think that we're attempting to gain in power," Kohta said.

Both Takashi and Saya looked at him.

"Seriously, they might get the wrong idea," he stated.

"Kohta's right. It would be a little too convenient to tell them what happened and just expect them to believe it," Saya said.

"Well, Asami ran into the room and saw for herself. I'm sure that she would back us up," Kohta said.

"Yeah, I'm really sure she would back up anything you say," Saya said as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What? What did I do?" Kohta asked.

"I swear, for someone so gifted and an obvious genius at guns you have to be the stupidest person when it comes to everything else!" Saya shouted before she stormed off.

"Seriously, what did I do?" Kohta asked Takashi.

"Don't look at me. I've got enough problems as it is," Takashi said as he waved his hands out in front of himself.

Kohta looked where Saya had walked and shrugged his shoulders. He knew that something had to be bothering her, but he just didn't have any idea of what it could be. He then looked back at the clothing store where the girls had gone into.

"Should we go inside and see if they are all right?" Kohta asked.

"Nope, I still don't want to die," Takashi said.

"I wasn't talking about peeping," Kohta said.

"Sure you weren't," Takashi replied.


	2. Chapter 1 Re: Your Brains

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 1 : RE: Your Brains**_

_**I don't want to nitpick, Tom, but is this really your plan?  
Spend your whole life locked inside a mall?  
Maybe that's OK for now but someday you'll be out of food and guns,  
Then you'll have to make the call.  
I'm not surprised to see you haven't thought it through enough.  
You never had the head for all that bigger picture stuff.  
But Tom, that's what I do, and I plan on eating you slowly. Johnathan Coulton**_

(Shopping Center – Roof)

"I know you're all hungry. Don't worry I always feed my babies," a woman said as she looked down at the large group of Them.

(Shopping Center – Outside of Akira's Sporting Goods)

Kohta looked at Takashi as the two studied the glass door. They had made their way back to the food court earlier only to hear that someone had heard gun fire coming from down the hall. They tracked the gun fire all of the way back to the sporting goods store and could easily see two bullet holes in the front glass.

"I wonder who is in there?" Takashi asked.

"I'm not sure, but something must have happened for certain," Kohta said.

Kohta pushed on the glass door to the shop and felt it open. When it did there was a feral scream and a bullet flew past his face. He dropped to the floor and the feral scream erupted from inside again.

"Get away from my store! These are my guns! MINE!" a woman shouted.

"We don't care about your guns!" Takashi shouted back.

"The fuck you don't! That's why one of the guards broke in here! He was going to steal my guns! I need them!" the woman screamed.

"Lady, we really don't want your guns," Kohta said.

"You take one step inside of my store and I'll kill you! I'll kill you like I killed that son of a bitch earlier!" she screamed.

"What should we do?" Takashi whispered.

"Back up away from her door," Kohta replied.

They did and when they got back far enough Kohta pushed the door open further and aimed Saya's Luger at the woman who was holding a gun on him.

"I'm not going to blink," the woman said.

"Neither am I, but I know you need food. We aren't like the security guards that have been trying to harass everyone. Most of us have all of the weapons we need, and we don't want yours. I don't want to have to kill you, but I will if you make me," Kohta said.

The woman studied him for a moment before she lowered her rifle and pulled off what looked like a gas mask.

She studied the two of them for a moment before she walked closer to where they were.

"Ann, Ann Akira," she said.

"I'm Kohta Hirano," Kohta said.

"Takashi Komuro," Takashi stated.

"You both have some major balls staying where you were. I was going to blast the both of you if you tried to come in here," she said.

"I know, but it wouldn't have done any of us any good," Takashi said.

"So, what's this about food?" Ann asked.

"We're cooking and smoking the perishable goods from the Grocery Store and the Food Court. You're welcome to come with us if you want to eat," Kohta said.

"What about my shop? I can't just leave it. Someone may try to loot it," Ann stated.

"I'm pretty sure that no one is going to just try and take what you have," Takashi said.

(Shopping Center – Food Court - Dillian's Burger Shot)

Saya leaned against the counter and looked at the food Kohta had went about preparing. As she looked at it she thought of Asami and growled lightly. She didn't want to feel jealous about the young police woman. After all what did she care if Kohta and Asami ended up together, it wasn't like she was going out with the chubby Otaku.

The sound of talking got her attention and she watched as Rei, Saeko, Asami, and Miss Shizuka walking back from the clothing store they had went into. Surprisingly Miss Shizuka seemed in slightly better spirits.

"_Surprised she all giggles after coming so close to being raped,_" Saya thought.

She watched as the four of them took a seat at one of the tables and began to walk out from behind the counter when she saw a red headed middle aged woman walking back with Kohta and Takashi. The middle aged woman looked tired, stressed, and uncertain as she neared the counter.

"Takashi, would you mind to take her over to one of the tables? I'll fix her something to eat and bring it over to her," Kohta said.

Saya watched as he began to put together a quick meal for the woman. There was no denying that Kohta was not only a genius at what he did, but he was also a fairly caring person when it came to people who haven't treated him bad. She turned her attention when some of the other survivors began complaining about how wasteful Kohta was being with the food. She narrowed her eyes at them.

"Look, they're new here, and they don't know all of the rules that Officer Matsushima helped set up," Asami stated.

"That's another thing. Why are we listening to you? You're basically a trainee, and she said she would be back almost a day ago," a dark haired man said.

"Officer Matsushima believed that Patrol Officer Asami was able to handle the situation until Officer Matsushima returned," Asami said.

"That's bullshit. Besides I watched the television before everything fried. I don't trust the police. They killed that one poor bastard on the bridge," a girl said.

"From what I understood that _poor bastard_ was attempting to start a riot in the middle of a sever emergency, and they had to stop the riot before a lot of innocent people died. If he hadn't been such an idiot he wouldn't be dead," Saya remarked.

"Well because of the police a lot of innocent people died anyway! Good and decent people like my sister!" the girl shouted.

"There's no reason for us to fight between ourselves. There's thousands of _Them_ out there for us to worry about. If we start fighting among ourselves we won't be able to make it," Takashi said.

"You're just a fucking kid, so what the fuck do you know about anything?" an older man asked.

"We know more than you think. We've been out there in the middle of it all. Believe me Takashi is right. We need to keep on the same side and work together if we're going to make it," Kohta said.

Some of the other survivors began to agree when the older man looked at them.

"You're really going to listen to a couple of teenagers? They're kids, nothing more than kids, and they don't know shit about how the real world works," the older man said.

"They're good people. They're a lot nicer and honest than that security guard was," Miss Shizuka replied.

"Speaking of which where is Gouda?" the older man asked.

"He was attempting to rape Miss Shizuka," Asami said.

"What?!" one of the girls asked.

"He was holding her down, and had a knife to her. He was going to kill her if some kind of action wasn't taken," Asami answered.

"God… is this what the world is now?" the dark haired man asked.

"We can't just give in. The world isn't the same, and that just means that we have to live a new way. There are rules we still need to hold on to, and doing something to deliberately hurt someone can't be accepted," Kohta said.

"Who decides what is hurting someone?" the older man asked.

"Are you defending someone who was going to rape a woman?!" one of the girls exclaimed.

"And if I am? We can't just decide crime and punishment without some serious thought. I know that a mall like this has to have a holding cell. If someone does something why not throw them into the cell and just keep them there. It would make a whole more sense than to just kill them. After all that's the right way for the law to work isn't it Patrol Officer Asami?" the older man asked.

"What if it was someone you cared about? Would it be different then?" Takashi asked.

"My daughter was bit by _Them_ and turned. My wife died years ago, and I don't know where my sister is. There isn't anyone left that I care about," he practically spat the answer.

"You're being an idiot," Saya said.

"Oh, so because you kids have weapons everyone is an idiot right?!" he exclaimed.

"No, you're an idiot because you don't realize that someone unstable like that isn't going to stop with raping someone. The kind of stress we're in eventually they're going to move on to killing people for the pure joy of it," Saya replied.

"Whatever," the older man said as he walked off in the distance.

"Sir, it's not wise to wonder too far from the group," Asami said.

"What do you know? I'm not a car, and I'm not illegally parked, so I don't need to listen to a glorified parking attendant," he replied.

Asami looked at her feet as the man walked off. She lifted her head when she felt someone touching her shoulder. She looked up to see Kohta.

"You're a good police officer," he said.

She gave a wry smile and turned toward the hall heading toward the storage area.

"Patrol Officer Asami is going to check to ensure the roll down gates are still holding," she said with her voice breaking slightly.

(Shopping Center – Storage Area)

Asami shut the door to the storage area and walked toward some of the large unwrapped boxes. She took a seat on one of them and wiped her eyes,.

"_Who am I kidding? I don't belong here. I'm not a very good patrol officer, and I don't have the honors that Officer Matsushima had. I'm useless,_" she thought.

The sound of the door opening got her attention and she turned to see Kohta walking toward her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She shook her head and looked at him.

"No, that man was right. I don't even belong here. Officer Matsushima was the real officer here. I'm a Patrol Officer. All I really do is write parking tickets," she said.

Kohta looked at her and shook his head.

"You're here and you're attempting to protect those people out there. Believe me that makes you a good police officer," he said.

She smiled lightly at him.

"Thank you," she said.

"Hirano, what are you doing back here?" Saya asked.

"Takagi, I was just checking on Officer Asami," he said.

Saya narrowed her eyes at them and then looked at Kohta for a moment. She closed her eyes and breathed out eveningly.

"Look, Officer, you need to get out there and try to ring in your group. They're talking about leaving, and it would be foolish to take a group this size outside where those things are," Saya said.

"Thank you Takagi, as the officer in charge I will address them," she said.

Asami walked toward the door and stepped out. When she did Saya looked back at Kohta.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You know what I mean. Why are you getting so chummy with that Patrol Officer anyway?" she asked.

"She seems like she could use a friend. I know what that's like," he said as he got up and started to walk out.

Saya watched him for a moment before looking at the wall.

"You've got friends you know," she said.

"I know, and I treasure each and every one of them. I'm glad to have you as a friend, but seeing here reminds me of before. It's not right," he replied.

She watched as he walked outside.

"_Why do you have to be so insightful?_" she thought.

(Shopping Center – Food Court)

Saya walked out to hear several of the other group of survivors screaming at Asami. The young patrol officer was backing up and shaking her head.

"It's your job to protect us! We can't stay here, and most of us think that it would be better to head toward the American Army Base instead of staying here!" the young man from earlier yelled.

"Please Mr. Shimada it's just not safe to move a group like this. Besides Officer Matsushima will be returning with help soon," Asami said.

"She's not coming back! She's dead! Everyone that isn't with the military is obviously dead!" he screamed.

"I… It's unwise to leave a secure place," Asami said with less authority in her voice.

"You're worthless," Shimada said.

"No, Officer Matsushima left Officer Asami in charge…" she began.

"Stop doing that!" Shimada said.

"I'm not a very good officer… I didn't do well in the academy or anything," she began crying.

"Excuse me Officer Asami, but I believe you dropped this," Kohta said as he handed her the Smith and Wesson handgun.

The others notice as Kohta handed her the official police handgun. Shimada looked at her and then took a seat facing some of the movie posters that was hanging in the distance.

"Do you really think it's too dangerous to travel outside officer," one of the girls asked.

Asami looked at Kohta and smiled.

"Yes, it's far too dangerous to travel outside," she said.

Saya watched the interaction and groaned in frustration.

"_What is that idiot doing giving her a gun? She's most likely not even really trained to use it!_" she thought.

_**(AN: It's not a long chapter, but I wanted to set up a few things, and I believe I have. I thought that it would be interesting to incorporate the psychos in Dead Rising into the story line. It would make some sense to have a few people who have went over the deep end in the story after all. The guards, and the shop owner are some of them, but I plan on introducing a few others. They're not going to be central to the story, after all a relationship between Saya and Kohta is the main point, but I think that it would be fun. Besides the psychos I also plan on adding a few other small details. Since I'm basically shooting from the hip when it comes to writing about the mall, Asami, and the other survivors I plan on adding some good old fashion tension. I won't go into what, but hey, it's going to be fun at least. Anyway, I hope that everyone liked this chapter. Thanks for reading, and please review.)**_


	3. Chapter 2 I Won't Back Down

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 2 : I Won't Back Down**_

_**Well I won't back down, no I won't back down**_

_**You could stand me up at the gates of hell**_

_**But I won't back down**_

_**Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around**_

_**And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down**_

_**Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down: Tom Petty**_

(Shopping Center – Home Stays Bedding Store – three hours later)

Kohta looked the beds to choose from. Everyone else had already found a place to sleep in the large shop, and once Saya, Asami, and himself preparing the food, and finding a cooler place to put it they had walked into the shop as well. Kohta closed the steel roll down gates and locked them into place.

"What are you doing?" Saya asked.

"It seems safer to have the gate down. We don't know if there is anyone else hiding in here. Also, I think that from now on we should travel in pairs," he answered.

"I hate to agree, but you're right. We don't need to be going anywhere alone. Especially not after what happened to Miss Shizuka," Saya said.

"It's not just that. This place is locked down, but that's not going to stop anyone who really wants in here," Kohta said.

"You really think that anyone is going to be looting at a time like this?" Saya asked.

"No, but I think that they might come looking for a place to rest, and there's a good chance they won't be stable. They can get past the gate, but not without making a lot of noise. Hopefully that will give us enough time to get ready to fight them off," he said.

Saya nodded and turned around to find herself a bed. Kohta was right about the gate. It would be in the best interest to have it closed and locked. It would take someone shooting it, or using something large to pry it open in order to open it. When that happened the noise would wake everyone. She turned back and watched as Kohta chose a small twin bed for himself. It was close to the gate, and it seemed intent on watching it.

"What are you doing over here by yourself?" Asami asked as she neared him.

Saya watched the young patrol officer and narrowed her eyes.

"_What, did you forget something else? Yeah, I just bet you did,_" Saya thought.

She turned away from them and tried to understand why she was feeling this way. It wasn't that she really liked Kohta. He was a nice guy, and he did help to make sure she stayed safe, but he wasn't Komuro. But Kohta didn't just think of her as a friend either. She would have to be completely blind not to notice how he went out his way for her.

"_It doesn't matter. He's just a chubby military otaku. He's a friend, a good one, but that's it. He's only a friend. I guess I just don't want to see him getting hurt right? Right, that's it. I don't want to see that skank hurt him, but then why does it bother me so much? If it was just worry… No, I don't love him. I can't,_" she thought.

She closed her eyes and attempted to sleep.

(Shopping Center – Home Stays Bedding Store – Kohta's bed)

Kohta looked at Asami and smiled.

"Someone needs to be close to the gate in case there's an emergency," he said.

"I should have thought about that. I'm just not a very good police officer. It's my duty to keep all of the civilians safe, but you and your friends have done far more toward that end than I have," she said.

Kohta shook his head and looked at her, "You stayed behind in order to help them. There was a great number of times you could have left and let them fend for themselves, but you didn't. That alone speaks volumes about the kind of police officer and person you are."

She smiled and blushed a little. Her eyes drifted toward the roll down gate.

"Do you mind if I just talk to you for a while?" she asked.

"No, I don't mind in the slightest," he said.

"Thank you. About a year ago I was going out with this guy, and it was pretty serious. I mean it was serious enough that I slept with him, and I'm not the kind of person to do that. We had plans on getting married, but he said he wasn't sure if he could marry someone who couldn't find a career, so I entered the police academy. It was a mistake from the beginning. I didn't fit in at all. Still, I wanted to make things perfect between us, so I stuck it out. I didn't graduate at the top of my class. In truth I barely passed the academy with enough points to become a patrol officer," she said with a sad smile.

Kohta watched as her eyes teared up and she quickly wiped them with the back of her hand.

"Asami…" he started, but she shook her head.

"Please, let me finish," she smiled and then looked back at the gate, "I went home after graduation and found him placing my things outside in a box. I tried to ask him what was going on, but he wouldn't answer me. I felt so devastated that he would do this to me, to us. I had… I had given him everything, and he tossed me aside. All I had left was the police, but I… I'm just not that good at what I'm supposed to do. In truth it's Officer Matsushima who thought that I could handle doing this," she said.

"It means Officer Matsushima has faith in you," he said.

"I don't know. I guess that it could mean that," she said.

"You're a much better officer than you give yourself credit for," he said.

"You're very sweet. Thank you," she said as she got up.

"I know what it's like," he smiled and looked at her, "I'm serious. I know what it's like to not fit in. I didn't fit in before, but things have changed. There's a chance now to do more than just fit in. We have a chance to live our lives like we really want. I think that you're a fantastic Police Officer, and if it's a life you want then you need to hang on to it."

She smiled happier and leaned down toward him. Before he could even think of preparing for it she kissed him. It caught him off guard when she did.

"I uh… Uh… Uh…" he stammered.

"I wish that you would have been my boyfriend before this all happened," she said before she walked back toward her bed.

(Shopping Center – Home Stays Bedding Store – Saya's bed)

She had turned and open her eyes when Kohta began trying to cheer up Asami, and it made her smile to see him trying to be nice. But then that skank had to lean in and kiss him!

"_What in the hell is her problem! Doesn't she realize that he's m… No, no he isn't. He's a friend, nothing else but a friend, but that skank didn't need to kiss him! And how could he just sit there and let her! He had to realize that was what she was going to do!_" she thought hotly.

(Shopping Center – Left Wing Enterance)

"Shhh babies. I said I would feed you. There is so much food in here. So much. Mama only needs one more day," a woman dressed in a guard uniform said.

"Hey! What are you doing over there!" the older man who had wondered off by himself shouted.

"I'm talking to my babies. They're so hungry. Tell me, are you a parent?" she asked.

"You're nuts! You're completely fucking crazy!" he yelled.

She pulled out her tazer and shot him in the back as he turned to run. She walked toward him and grabbed his feet pulling him toward the doors. She handcuffed his wrist to the door and leaned down toward his face.

"I'm going to start feeding them tomorrow. I can't do it all at once, or some of those bad people will hurt my babies. I want you to know that my babies are going to be so thankful for your sacrifice," she said.

"You're a Goddamned nut job!" he screamed.

"So mean! I'm just a caring mother," she said back.

_**(AN: Who is this crazy bitch who is so attached to the zombies outside? Also, is Saya going to ever admit what she feels toward Kohta? Is Asami going to make more of a move for him before she wises up? Tune in next time kiddies.)**_


	4. Chapter 3 Running With the Devil

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 3 : Running With the Devil**_

_**I live my life like there's no tomorrow  
and all I've got, I had to steal  
Least I don't need to beg or borrow  
Yes I'm livin' at a pace that kills  
Oooh, yeah  
(Ahh!) Runnin' with the devil (Ahh-hah! Yeah!)  
(Woo-hoo-oo!) Runnin' with the devil  
I'm gonna tell ya all about it: Van Halen**_

(Saya's dream – Shopping Center – Home Stays Bedding Store – Kohta's Bed)

The sounds of soft moaning grew louder. She knew that everyone else could hear what was going on, but she was so far past the point of caring that it didn't even matter to her. Her finger nails found his back and raked across it leaving red trench like marks.

"Kohta, please…" she whimpered in delight.

"I love you… I love you Asami," he whispered.

Saya shot awake and looked around for a moment before breathed out a sigh.

"_God, why did I dream something like that? Why on Earth would I dream about being Asami and making love to Kohta?_" she thought as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

She looked down to see Kohta sitting up in bed. She wasn't sure if he was sitting up and still asleep, or if he was awake and keeping watch. Her eyes stayed on the way he sat there facing the roll down gate. She watched him for a few more moments and realized that he must still be awake. She smiled softly and began to crawl out of bed. Once out she walked toward where he was sitting and noticed a half empty bottle of Mountain Dew by his feet.

"Trouble sleeping?" he asked.

"Not really, but it looks like you are," she answered.

"Someone needs to keep guard," he replied.

"It doesn't have to be you by yourself. Why don't you go ahead and get some sleep. I don't mind to keep an eye out," she said.

"Thanks Takagi… I'm really kind of tired," he replied.

He handed her the Luger her mother had given her, and then laid back on the bed. He began closing his eyes and let out a relaxed sigh.

"Wake me up if you need me," he said.

She watched him drift off to sleep and studied him for a few moments. While he was overweight it wasn't to the absolute extreme. She did give him a hard time about it, but it was because she wanted to stay distanced from him. She shook her head and looked toward the gate.

"_I wonder why I'm even worrying about him. I know he's important to us, and that he's kept us alive, but really why? Why am I so upset that Asami kissed him, and why would I even dream about him like that?_" she thought.

She let out a long sigh and simply kept looking toward the gate. The outside of the gate was complete and total darkness, but it was outside of the mall that was bothering her. She could hear the moans of those things as they stood outside. They had been quiet inside, but still the occasional shout and the gun fire from the other day had brought a multitude of them. The shopping center wasn't the best place to plan on living the rest of their lives. Eventually they would have to find more food. Even with only a few people inside they would eventually run out of canned goods from the grocery store.

There had been a home and garden store they passed, and there was the possibility of growing some food on the roof of the shopping center.

"_Growing our own food would help some, but is this the kind of life we want? We would be stuck inside of this shopping center for the rest of our natural lives, or at least until enough of __**Them**__ gathered together to break through the doors and come inside. It would make so much more sense to get out of here and find a safer place. Especially if we begin to consider the idea of repopulation,_" she thought.

She looked toward Kohta and the thought of children began to cross her mind.

"_Stop it. Stop it right now. I can't start thinking along those lines, and I know it. It would be cruel to bring a child into this, and besides would I really want it to be Kohta's if I did?_" she thought.

She looked back at him and the idea wasn't repulsive. She knew that part of the reason it wasn't was simply because of how strong and resourceful he had proven to be. Still, having kids was something she didn't want to do for a long, long, long time – if ever – and she would want it to be in a much safer place where they wouldn't have to worry about _Them_.

(Shopping Center – Left Wing Entrance)

The older man pulled at the handcuff that was keeping him chained to the entrance door. He tried to make sure he didn't lean back too far, because doing so would make the crash bar disengage. He looked around to see if that crazy bitch, as he had taken to calling her, was around anywhere. She seemed to still be missing, so he continued to try and pull his hand out of the cuff.

"Come on, just a little more," he whispered.

He gritted his teeth as the metal bit into his skin and muscle. It was hurting like a son of a bitch, but he could feel his hand moving down. He felt it move down his hand and then it stopped. He looked up to see it caught on the thick muscle of his hand where his thumb sprouted off. He folded his thumb in even more and pulled hard. There was a wet snap as he did and he wanted to scream in pain, but he was free. He stood up and started walking toward the end of the hall, and as he did he heard a gate closing. He looked ahead to see the crazy bitch closing the large roll down gate that separated the East Wing from the rest of the Shopping Center.

"I can't have my babies meal escaping now can I?" she asked.

"NO, STOP!" he cried.

She smiled at him and stopped cranking the gate. The man breathed out a small sigh until he saw her lift a nail gun.

"What… what are you doing?" he asked.

She shot at him and he jumped out of the way of the nail.

"Guess I have to get closer. Don't worry babies, I'm going to feed you right now," she said as she neared him.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" he shouted.

She fired another shot and this time the nail jammed into his knee cap. He let out a terrible scream of pain and fell to the floor.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he shouted at her.

"I told you I have to feed my babies," she said.

She walked past him and pressed the crash bar open on one of the inner doors. She quickly kicked the door stopper down and then looked at the outer doors. She aimed at the glass and shot it. It cracked and the noise it made cause the living dead outside to bang against the glass harder than before. The crack in the outer door began to spread and she walked back toward the older man and shot him again in the other leg.

"Now, you just wait right there and my babies will take care of you," she said.

"You're… You're a fucking nut job! I hope those kids kill your ass!" he screamed.

"They can't," she said as she leaned close to him, "If they did then who would feed my babies?" she asked.

His eyes widened as he realized how crazy she really was.

"They're so hungry. They're practically screaming out how badly they want to eat, and I can't deny them," she said as she walked toward the roll down gate and started cranking it again.

"I'll get you more food later babies," she said.

The sound of the glass door busting out caused the man to turn his head. He saw as a few of those things began to blindly break through. He began to pull himself back toward the gate. The pain in his knees nearly unbearable, but he couldn't die, not like this. He looked around at the shops to see if any of them were unlocked, but none of them looked to be. He could stay quiet and not make a sound, but how long could he do it?

"Help me! Someone please HELP!" he screamed.

(Shopping Center – Home Stays Bedding Store – Kohta's bed)

Saya's eyes shot open when she heard the busting glass, but the moment she heard the scream for help she stood up. It wasn't time to get unhinged and upset, but she needed to get Kohta up and soon. She leaned over and shook his arm.

"Come on wake up!" she shouted.

"Takagi… What is it?" he asked sleepily.

"Listen!" she exclaimed.

He sat up and heard the moans and someone screaming for help in the distance. Before another word could be said he scooted to the end of the bed and got up. He grabbed the Springfield rifle he was used to and looked at Saya.

"I'm going to wake up Korumo, and we're going to take a look," he said.

"Wait, what if they're close to the rest of us? Shouldn't we go ahead and wake up every one?" Saya asked.

"Would you mind to wake them up? Regardless of what the situation is we need to be ready to leave," he said.

"All right, I'll wake them up, but how are we going to get out of here? It isn't like there's another Humvee around here that we can use," she said.

"You said that if something acted like an antenna that it would cause it to go out right?" he asked.

She nodded.

"What if something was parked inside of an underground parking structure?" he asked.

She thought about it for a moment.

"It's possible that it would be okay. Wait, the parking lot underground? Isn't that dangerous?" she asked.

"Staying here is going to be just as dangerous. We really don't have a lot of options, and if there is a working car or something down there it might be our best bet," he said.

"I don't think so. If we go down into the parking lot there's too much of a chance that those things will follow us. Wait, what about the offices? I bet that there's a service tunnel in this place that leads outside. If there is we might be able to let them inside and escape through the tunnel. Most shopping centers have them," she said.

"Okay, that sounds good," he said.

He moved away from where she was and headed back toward Takashi without noticing how she was watching him. She turned toward the gate and closed her eyes.

"_Why him? Why is it that I'm starting to feel this way about him?_" she thought.

She heard Korumo groan about being woken up, and then she heard them both talk for a moment. She opened her eyes to see them both heading toward the gate and Kohta unlock it. He then handed her the key ring he had found in one of the offices earlier and gave it to her.

"Lock it back, please," he said.

She nodded and watched them leave.

"Come back alive, please," she whispered.

She watched as the two of them lifted the gate and then let it back down. She stood and walked toward the gate as they ran down the length of the mall toward the sounds of moans and screams. She bent down, locked the gate, and then turned toward the store again.

(Shopping Center – Left Wing Entrance)

Kohta and Takashi ran until they found the large roll down gate closed. Takashi looked on in horror as the older man from last night was being torn apart by those things.

"Please, help me," he weakly said.

Takashi raised his rifle, but Kohta stopped him.

"We can't," Kohta whispered.

"Fuck if those things can hear! It's not right to leave him like this!" Takashi shouted.

"I know, but the holes in that gate are too small. If you fire a shot it's going to end up chasing us around in here," Kohta said as he shook his head.

"Wh… What can we do then?" Takashi asked.

Kohta bent over and unhooked something on his boot. Takashi watched as he pulled out a small hunting knife, which looked like something from the sporting goods store, and walked behind the guy leaning against the gate. Kohta thrust the knife forward through one of the small slots and it buried in the back of the older man's skull. He backed up and shook his head.

"This isn't right," Kohta said.

"Tell me about it. That's a horrible way to go," Takashi replied.

"That's not what I'm talking about. There's no way he would have let this gate down and closed himself off from the rest of the shopping center. Not to mention I'm pretty sure the number of _Them _that made it in would be far more if they had broken through all of the doors or a couple of them. I think that someone did this to him," Kohta said.

"Who would do something like this?" Takashi asked.

Kohta's eyes narrowed and he turned around. He looked in several directions and touched Takashi's arm.

"What is it?" Takashi asked.

"He or she is still here," Kohta said.

"Wait, how can you tell?" Takashi asked.

"They're admiring their handy work, and they're waiting for us to leave," Kohta said.

"Wait, are you sure?" he asked.

Kohta nodded and then both of them heard the sound of hard soles running on the tile floor. They took off after the sound and Takashi turned the corner first and yell out in pain. Kohta pulled him back to find a nail sticking out of his shoulder.

"The bitch shot me!" Takashi yelled.

Kohta pulled him further back and neared the corner. He heard the sound of something hitting the corner and then insane sounding laughter erupting from just beyond them.

"My Babies are hungry, and I'm going to feed them!" a woman shouted.

Kohta looked at Takashi and traded the Springfield rifle for the Ithaca shotgun. From what he could tell the woman was fairly close, especially since she wasn't using the nail gun properly. Another shot hit the corner and he waited until he heard a faint hiss of gas escaping, but no nail firing. At that moment he turned the corner and spotted the blond headed woman who was loading more nails into the portable nail gun. He raised the shotgun and she stopped.

"You can't… You can't kill me. Who's… Who's going to feed my babies?" she asked.

Kohta pulled the trigger on the shotgun and hit her in the stomach. He watched as the blast picked her up and threw her against a glass advertisement. She hit it hard enough to burst through it and land on the other side. He walked toward her and looked as she coughed up blood.

"My babies… my babies are so hungry…" she whimpered.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but I wish that I could have stopped you before you hurt anyone," he said.

"They'll get in away… I… I didn't lock the gate down," she said as her eyes closed.

He turned around and ran back toward the gate. As he neared it he saw the number of _Them_ growing. They began to pound on the gate, and the sheer numbers was causing it to buckle. He turned and ran back toward Takashi. Once there he helped him up and grabbed the Springfield rifle.

"We need to get out of here now!" Kohta shouted.

They ran back toward the Home Stays Bedding Store and saw Saya talking to everyone as they all stood outside.

"Korumo, Hirano, what happened?" she asked.

"A crazy woman let several of _Them_ in. It won't take very long for the gate that's holding them back to break down, and when it does they'll all come inside. We've got to get out of here now," Kohta said.

"Wait, supplies, won't we need some supplies?" Miss Shizuka asked.

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"Is… Is that a bad idea?" she asked.

"No, actually it's a great idea. Okay, everyone grab a pillow case, and we'll head over to the grocery store. Don't even worry about what you're getting, just fill your pillow cases with canned goods. Don't waste time with anything that is perishable," Kohta said.

"I'll take care of Korumo's arm, while you're all doing this. We should be ready to leave when you are," Miss Shizuka said.

Saya nodded. The larger group then ransacked the bedding store for pillow cases and all headed toward the grocery store. The moment they got inside everyone began split up and hit the various canned goods isles. Saya didn't even look at the stuff she was throwing into her pillow case. She just kept filling it until she certain that much more would make it impossible to carry. She looked around and saw the others doing the same. At that moment the sound of metal bending and breaking could be heard.

"Everyone, we need to evacuate the building right now!" Asami shouted.

The group move back outside and could see a few of _Them_ has they moved down the hall. They turned toward Saya who looked around and noticed the service entrance doors.

"We need to access the service doors. I know I saw one in the bedding store, and we can close and lock the gate down to slow them down," Saya said.

Kohta nodded and the group followed them back toward the bedding store. They arrived to see Miss Shizuka finishing the bandaging on Takashi's arm.

"Head toward the back of the store," Saya said.

When they got inside Kohta pulled the roll down gate closed and locked it in place. He quickly locked it and then ran toward the back with the others. Once in the back he found the door Saya had talked about and pushed it open to a darken hallway. A light suddenly turned on, and they looked at Alice who was holding a flash light.

"I… I found it in the clothing shop," she said.

"Good, let me see it," Saya said.

She lead them into the service tunnel and looked at a map diagram on the wall. She studied it for a few moments before she turned back to them.

"From what this reads we're going to come out at Habuki station two blocks down. Everyone who can fight needs to be up front," she said.

They walked for several minutes in complete silence until a low moan escaped from ahead of them. Saya shined the light ahead, and could see a few silhouettes ahead of them, but that was about it. They walked closer and they could see a few of the living dead standing around. Saeko and Rei moved forward and quickly killed the ones that was nearby.

"Why don't you just shoot them?" one of the other girls asked.

"They react to sound. It would be like ringing a dinner bell," Kohta said.

"It should be clear," Saeko said.

They moved forward and looked at a mostly empty rail road station. There was a few of the living dead stuck in the now dead subway cars, but for the most part it looked like the entire station was clear itself.

"O..Officer Matsushima," Asami whimpered as she looked at a woman step out from the darkness.

The woman had obviously been bitten and turned. Kohta figured he knew what happened. She decided to take the subway tunnels toward the police station, after all it only stood to reason that there would be less of _Them_ in the subway system itself. She had made it a ways from the shopping center and then was bit, more than likely by one of those they had killed, and turned in here.

"No… NO!" Asami screamed.

The sound of more moans began to erupt from further down the subway tunnel.

"Perfect! Just perfect!" Saya yelled as she looked toward the now crying Patrol Officer.

"No, no, no, no, no! It's hopeless… If someone like Matsushima didn't make it… I…" Asami whimpered.

"Asami, don't. Look, you're going to make it. Why don't you come with us? I don't know where your group wants to go, but you can come with us," Kohta said.

"That… Thank you," she said.

She looked toward those she was with.

"I'm no longer a patrol officer. You will have to fend for yourselves," she said.

"Great, but why don't we worry about getting the fuck out of here first," Shimada replied.

Kohta looked at the others and they began moving up the stairs until they reached the street level. Once there they saw a couple of buses that had been parked across the street in an attempt of making a barricade. They walked toward the two buses and Kohta opened one of the doors on one. When he did he looked inside to see it completely empty.

"It looks like we can go through here and get to the other side," he said.

The sound of moaning began to get louder. Kohta looked at Takashi who had taken back the shotgun. They looked at the others.

"Go ahead, we're going to make sure that you get through," Takashi said.

Saeko walked toward Takashi and smiled at him. Despite Rei standing there she kissed him and pulled back.

"Don't die. It would be far too boring if you did," she said.

_**(AN: Yeah, I'm leaving you on a cliffhanger and I know it. But I hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter. That said I'm not through with the psychos yet. There will be more through the groups journey. I have to admit that I'm having a lot of fun writing this. It's kind of nice to be taking a break from writing my second novel. Well, at any rate, I hope that everyone enjoys this as much as I have writing it. LF)**_


	5. Chapter 4 No More Tears

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 4 : No More Tears**_

_**The lights in the window is a crack in the sky**_

_**A stairway to darkness in the blink of an eye**_

_**And levee of tears to learn she'll never be coming back**_

_**The man in the dark will bring another attack**_

_**Your momma told you that**_

_**You're not supposed to talk to strangers**_

_**Look in the mirror, tell me**_

_**Do you think your life's in danger here?: Ozzy Osbourne**_

(The Buses Blocking the Street outside of the Habuki Station)

The moans from inside of the station were growing louder. Kohta looked at Takashi was holding the shotgun, but still favoring his shoulder. If they started firing it would be likely that Takashi could only get out a few shots before his shoulder couldn't take anymore.

"Hey, why don't we block off the Subway Station?" Shimada asked.

Kohta looked at him for a second and then looked at the area. There was a few cars sitting around. If they could get one to roll down into the station's stairwell it would slow down the living dead, if not stop them completely.

"That's not a bad idea. Everyone else needs to get through to the other side, but if you're willing to help we might be able to block it off," Kohta said.

Shimada nodded and the three of them ran toward a car which had its door hanging open. Shimada jumped into the car and released the parking break. He crawled out and grabbed the door handle and looked back at Kohta and Takashi.

"Ready when you are," he said.

The three of them pushed the car over toward the subway stairwell. Shimada moved toward the back near Kohta and Takashi. After he was cleared of the front they pushed the car forward and it began to roll down the stairs until it crashed hard into either one of the columns or the wall itself. After a few moments there was the sound of banging on metal. The car had alerted _Them_ to the right direction, but for the moment it was also holding them back.

"That should buy us a little time," Takashi said.

Kohta nodded and the three of them ran back toward the buses. They climbed inside and followed where the others had already came out at. On the other side of the buses it looked different. There was burned out cars, charred corpses lying around, and absolute quiet. Kohta looked at the other two and held his finger to his mouth. Both of them agreed and he walked forward toward where the rest of the larger group was standing.

"Was… Was this the Self Defense Force?" Miss Shizuka asked.

"No, I'm certain they're still holding a couple of the suburbs down. This looks less organized," Saya said.

"It was normal people," Kohta said.

Saya nearly gasped when he said something. She hadn't heard him come up behind her.

"What about _Them_? Are they behind the buses?" Saya asked.

Kohta shook his head. He took in the sight before him for a few moments. Obviously they had seen, and been through more than any of them could ever really express, but the sight before them brought a sort of appreciation that they were still here, and still together. The directions weren't clear by any means. It was doubtful they could find any place that would honestly be safe, and the most they could look forward to was safer.

"Where should we go?" Shimada asked.

"We were looking for family before we stopped at the Shopping Center, so I think that it would be best to continue to do so," Takashi said.

"I'll save you a trip then. My sister married an American and moved to Oklahoma last year, and my parents have been dead for the last six years," Shimada replied.

"I don't see any way of getting to America. I'm sorry," Saeko said.

"It's fine. I know there's a good chance she and her husband are alive. He was one of those Zombie otakus, and if anyone would have been prepared for this I believe he would have been," Shimada said.

"The Eastern Police Station isn't too far from here, and Rei's father is a police officer. There's a chance we might find him there," Takashi said.

"The Police Station it is," Miss Shizuka replied.

"What about transportation? We don't have the Humvee anymore, and I'm pretty sure everything else is going to be damaged from the Electromagnetic Pulse," Saya stated.

"Actually we may be able to get something working at the Police Station," Rei said.

"What are you talking about Miyamoto?" Saya asked.

"The station has extra parts for their vehicles, and I'm certain it would be completely possible to replace the fried parts on something and use it," Rei said

"That's if the Police are willing to let us use anything they have, and also it greatly depends on if there is anything. Still, it's a better option than nothing at all," Saya replied.

"How far is it to the Eastern Police Station?" Miss Shizuka asked.

"It's only about one and a half kilometers," Asami answered.

"Okay, we need to move as a group and everyone needs to know where they are going to be," Saya said.

"We could use a basic hostile area tactic. One to two trained gunmen up front, another behind, and the armed melee fighters in the center," Asami said.

"That's not a bad idea, but the only really trained gunman is Hirano," Saya replied.

"With Komuro's shoulder being hurt he doesn't need to be near the front. I don't mean anything man, but if there's a lot of shooting happening I'm not certain you'll be able to hold up," Kohta said.

"He's got a point. Even though Miss Shizuka patched up my shoulder it's still really sore. It hurts to bend it very much at all," he said.

"Then Hirano and I will take the front, Takashi cover the back, and everyone else remain in the center," Saeko said.

Kohta looked around them as they moved toward the East Police Station. The silence was both welcomed, but at the same time it reminded him of the incident with the Humvee. It had seemed quiet when they crossed the river, and now it seemed just as quiet. As they came toward the street they needed to turn on Kohta stopped.

"What is it?" Asami asked from behind them.

"It's hell," Saeko answered.

The others walked closer to Kohta and Saeko and looked at the devastation which lined the street. What they had come through looked like a war zone, but this looked like a slaughter. Bodies, mainly women and children, lined the street in piles. From the look of it these had been the young children and the young mothers of this street, and they had attempted to escape. However, their escape was halted and destroyed by the living dead.

"Dear God in heaven," Shimada said.

Kohta moved forward slowly and looked toward the others. He held his finger to his lips and motioned for them to follow. From what they knew the living dead didn't seem to see, but they heard extremely well, and if any of the multitude of corpses here were _Them_ it could be possible to sneak by without being noticed.

They walked carefully through the bodies. Kohta pointed toward the next street and they began to turn onto it when a loud crash echoed out. Everyone looked back to see Ann standing next to a mailbox she had barely brushed with her side. Moans began to gather as nearly every single corpse began to get up, or crawl toward the sound. Ann began to run toward the others, but fell when something grabbed her ankle. She turned around to see a half eaten woman holding on to her while moaning.

"Get it off!" she screamed.

Her screams caused the living dead to center onto her more and the others backed up.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" she screamed.

A gunshot echoed from where they were standing and they looked to see Asami holding the smoking revolver. She fired another shot nailing another one of the multitude of the living dead.

"Move!" she shouted.

Ann got to her feet and started to run toward the group as they ran away from the huge collection of the living dead. Kohta took a knee and began providing cover for everyone else. Asami moved toward him and pulled her trigger again only to find the revolver was empty.

"Go with the others now!" Kohta shouted.

"There's too many for you to take on alone!" she shouted.

"I'm going to come with the rest of you, but I need you to get to the others," he said.

She looked toward the huge numbers of the living dead and realized that Kohta wasn't planning on meeting up with them. He was going to buy everyone as much time as he could before they overwhelmed him. She turned toward the living them and ran across the street from them.

"I HATE YOU!" she shouted.

Kohta stopped shooting and looked at her completely confused.

"I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

The living dead began to move toward her screaming and Kohta saw what she was doing. He moved away from where he was and toward a more defensible position. He watched her through the scope as she ran down the street only to find it blocked by multiple crashed cars, and even more bodies. She looked toward where he was and a knowing smile crossed her face.

"Don't let me become one Kohta, please," he read her lips. She continued to smile toward him.

"I love you!" he could barely hear the shout.

"Me too," he said as he pulled the trigger.

He didn't hear the footsteps behind him, and he didn't realize that Saya, Saeko, and Takashi had come back for him. He turned when he felt a hand touch his shoulder and he moved the Springfield toward the owner of the hand. Saya drew her hand back and looked at him frightened. He turned away from her and growled.

"I'll kill all of you… I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" he shouted as he began taking shots at the living dead.

Each shot was an instant kill shot, and like every time he had shot before. He felt the soft hand on his shoulder again and stopped firing only to look at Saya.

"Kohta, what are you doing?" she asked.

"What I'm good at," he replied coldly.

He turned back toward them and fired again killing another of the living dead. They had began to turn from Asami's body, and were starting to head toward him.

"We need to go!" Saya shouted.

"No!" he shouted.

"Kohta, I'm sorry, but Takagi is right, we need to move," Takashi said as he touched Kohta's shoulder.

Kohta turned and aimed the gun at Takashi's head. Takashi backed up uncertain of what his friend was doing when he heard the gun shot ring out. He opened his eyes to realize he was still alive, and looked behind himself to see a freshly killed corpse.

"Have you gone completely insane?!" Saya yelled.

She looked at him in a mix of anger and worry. He looked at her with the same feral look he had when he first had began to kill the living dead. She slapped him hard enough for his glasses to fall to the ground.

"You can't do this to us! We need you!" Saya shouted.

"I… I don't want to go," he said.

She looked at him and shook her head. It was so hard to believe he was actually choosing to die here. She looked toward the direction where Asami had given her life to save him, and possibly all of them, from being eaten alive.

"Get on your feet Officer! You have a duty to ensure that every civilian under your protection remains protected!" Saya shouted at him.

He stood up and nodded.

"Yes Ma'am!" he exclaimed.

"Did that just really work?" Saeko asked Takashi.

"I guess so. I didn't think that it would," he replied.

They headed toward where the others were standing. Saya walked behind Kohta and watched as he moved toward the direction of the Eastern Police Station.

"_I'm so sorry Kohta… I'm sorry you had to do that. I know it couldn't have been easy, and I hate myself for even thinking about something like that happening to her. She didn't deserve it,_" Saya thought.

They finally reached the Eastern Police Station and walked up to the now busted in front doors. Kohta walked in first and kept the Springfield rifle ready as he made his way into the station.

"Oh God… Dad… Takashi… Dad, he's not dead, he can't be dead," Rei said.

"We'll check the entire police station," Takashi said.

"His office on the third floor, we should head up there first!" Rei said as she ran toward the steps. She threw the door open and one of _Them _stumbled out.

It reached for her and grabbed her arm. She tried to kick at it, but it's grip was amazingly strong. She closed her eyes, waiting for what looked to be the end when she heard a sickening crunch and opened her eyes to see Mr. Shimata with a name placard he had used to bash the thing's head open.

"You need to be more careful," he said.

No sooner had he said that then he screamed in pain as one of _Them_ that was crawling on the floor took a bite out of his leg. Rei used the Bayonet attached to her rifle and rammed it through the reanimated corpse's head.

"Son of a bitch," Shimata said as he slid down to the floor.

"I'm sorry man," Takashi said.

"What really sucks about it is that it wasn't even my girlfriend. Maybe that's why I did it. I let Rika get overrun by those things in order to get away… Maybe I was making up for it," he said.

"Thank you," Rei whispered.

Saeko walked toward him and knelt down.

"That was brave of you, and I am truly sorry, but you know your choices," she said.

"I don't want to be up and walking around like that. Please, let me die like a man," he said.

She nodded and made a quick swipe with her sword. Once it cleared his head split starting over the right eye and down to the right corner of his mouth. His body simply fell back against the floor.

"We need to be very careful in here. It's obvious there are several of _Them _in this building," Saeko said.

_**(AN: I know another cliff hanger ending, but I figured a Cliffhanger chapter is better than no chapter. I want to thank **__**KinOnizuka**__**, **__**Otaku-SIG**__**, **__**Pablojcd**__**, **__**Draco38**__**, **__**XDreamKillerX**__**, and **__**Gravenimage**__** for their reviews. I hope you guys and gals aren't disappointed by what I've been providing. Thanks again, LF)**_


	6. Chapter 5 Snuff

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 5 : Snuff**_

_**Bury all your secrets in my skin  
Come away with innocence and leave me with my sins  
The air around me still feels like a cage  
And love is just a camouflage for what resembles rage again**_

So if you love me let me go  
And run away before I know  
My heart is just too dark to care  
I can?t destroy what isn?t there

Deliver me into my fate  
If I?m alone I cannot hate  
I don?t deserve to have you  
Ooh, my smile was taken long ago  
If I can change I hope I never know: Slipknot

(The Eastern Police Station – Third Floor – Chief Inspector Miyamoto's Office)

Rei stood in disbelief as she took in the fact her father wasn't there. She had placed all of her hope, all of her expectation on the simple fact he would be there. Instead she looked at something she had never seen when it came to her father. She saw complete and total disorganization. Her father had been in such a fury to get away that he had ransacked his entire office. Tears gathered around her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks.

"He's gone… He's not here…" she whimpered.

Takashi touched her shoulder, but she pulled away from him.

"He's not here! He was supposed to be here! He was supposed to able to fix all of this!" she shouted.

Saeko walked toward her and laid her hand on Rei's shoulder. Rei turned toward the older girl and buried her face in her bosom. She frantically cried. The feeling of disappointment, exhaustion, and depression seemed overwhelming.

"Perhaps there is a clue we have not seen yet. It may explain what happened," Saeko suggested.

"Over here!" Saya shouted.

Rei pulled back to look up, even though tears were still freely escaping her eyes, and saw a piece of paper Saya was holding.

"What… What is it?" Rei asked between sobs.

"It's a note, and according to it the police decided to head over toward an elementary school," Saya answered.

Rei began to dry her eyes and walked toward Saya. She looked at the paper, and a look of relief covered her face.

"It's dad's handwriting!" she exclaimed.

A scream from down the hall gained their attention and the group ran toward the sound. The found a locked door facing them, and on the other side there was the sound of something thudding against the wall while a girl screamed in terror. Takashi looked at Kohta and the both of them slammed into the door. It took a few attempts, but finally the door frame splintered and came apart. When it did they saw a horrible spectial. A large man had the young woman that had been in the other survivor group from the mall pinned against a desk. Her clothes had been torn away, and any innocence she had left had been stolen from her.

"Get away from her!" Kohta yelled.

The giant of a man turned toward them and lifted the girl into the air by her neck.

"Help me," she choked out.

"You want her, fine. I'm finished anyway," he said before he snapped her neck and threw her at them.

The large man then rushed toward the group which had been standing behind Takashi and Kohta. His hands found the first person near him and pulled her toward him. She screamed, and Kohta's eyes shot open. He looked to see the man holding Saya as a hostage. He was practically daring Saeko or Rei to do something, but he had turned his back toward Kohta. Without a second thought Kohta grabbed his rifle, took aim, and fired a shot straight through the large man's head.

He stumbled forward and let go of Saya who fell to the floor and scooted away. The large man held his hands toward his head and groaned as he fell face first to the ground.

"Akuma," Saeko spat the name.

Kohta stood and walked toward Saya who was still shaking.

"Takagi, are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded and watched as he relaxed a bit. He turned toward the man and looked at him.

"Who is he?" Kohta asked.

"He's a ranking member of the Yakuza. Two years ago he asked to be trained by my father, but my father refused. He doesn't associate with animals like him," Saeko said.

Takashi looked at the group standing there and shook his head. There hadn't been that many of the Shopping Center survivors anyway, but he had wanted to keep most of them alive. Instead in less than two days four of them had died, and it left a young girl who barely looked old enough to be in middles school.

"_What kind of leader am I? It's hard enough to keep the small group I started with alive, and now I've lost four more people, and for what?_" he thought.

Saeko looked toward Takashi and walked over. She touched his arm and he looked up at her.

"This is not your doing," she said.

"I should have made certain we all stayed together," he said.

"It is a terrible thing Takashi, but it isn't something that can be helped now. The only thing to do is learn from it," she said.

He nodded and looked back at the now dead Yakuza.

Kohta watched both Saeko and Takashi. It was fairly obvious what was happening. The two of them had come back to the mansion closer, and that closeness had only grown. He felt glad for his friend. He turned toward Rei who was watching the situation with Takashi and Saeko with a scowl on her face and he grinned for a moment. It would be amusing to watch Takashi attempt to talk himself out of trouble.

"_I know what that's like. I had to explain that I was just talking to Asami…_", he thought as he felt sadness creep over him.

He felt Saya holding his arm and looked at her. There was a strange expression on her face and then his eyes opened wide as she kissed him. It wasn't what he had heard about, but instead she seemed hungry for the kiss. She pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him holding him with everything he had. He did the same holding on to her as she kissed him hard. There was no softness in it, no warmth, but only a desperate need for comfort. He knew what he had felt for Takagi, for Saya, was still the same. He cared deeply for her, and he loved her, but he had nearly given up on ever getting those feelings returned to him.

When they broke their kiss Saya turned to see everyone standing around them staring with mouths agape. She narrowed her eyes and stared right back at them.

"What?!" she demanded.

(Eastern Police Department – Motor Pool)

Most of the vehicles had left, and from the looks of it they had left a couple of days ago. Still there was a couple of patrol cars, and one Special Weapons and Tactics van still parked. Kohta walked with Takashi over to it and checked it out. From what he could tell the van had been parked why routine maintance had been performed on it, and while it had been parked the police had unhooked the batteries. A check of the rest of the garage lead to four usable batteries, enough oil, a filter to finish the change, and the keys to the van.

"I don't suppose you know how work on a car do you?" Takashi asked.

Kohta shook his head, but held up a manual he found.

"No, but it's a perfect time to learn," he said.

(Eastern Police Department – Motor Pool Office)

Saya looked at Rei, Saeko, Miss Shizuka, Alice, Zeke, and the young middle school girl as she pulled down a map and laid it on the desk.

"From what we've seen a huge chunk of the surrounding neighborhoods have fallen. Miyamoto, you and Takashi are from around here, so are there any streets that have fewer houses on them?" Saya asked.

"North and second have fewer families, but that's just because they've been working on a housing project. The last I saw there was a lot of construction, and a lot of workers over there," she said.

"It still might be easiest to head that direction," Saya replied.

"What about weapons?" Saeko asked.

"It would make sense to look for something in the station. I'm sure there is an armory," Saya said.

"Shouldn't we ask Kohta?" Shizuka asked.

Saya's face reddened and she hid her eyes from them.

"Y…Yeah we should. He might know where to look," she answered.

_**(AN: Short chapter, and sorry for that. Still short chapter is better than no chapter. I had to write the first kiss in here, and while it wasn't the one I talked about in **__**It's a Better First Time**__**, or rather it's not the sweeter one, I thought it important to show the more desperate kiss first. After all they've just survived, and Saya had a runin with something truly horrible. Anyway hopefully I you are all enjoying this. Later Days: LF)**_


	7. Chapter 6 Don't Stop Me Now

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 6 : Don't Stop Me Now**_

_**Don't stop me now I'm having such a good time  
I'm having a ball don't stop me now  
If you wanna have a good time just give me a call  
Don't stop me now ('Cause I'm having a good time)  
Don't stop me now (Yes I'm having a good time)  
I don't want to stop at all  
I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars  
On a collision course  
I am a satellite I'm out of control  
I am a sex machine ready to reload  
Like an atom bomb about to  
Oh oh oh oh oh explode  
I'm burning through the skies Yeah!  
Two hundred degrees  
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit  
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light  
I wanna make a supersonic woman out of you**__**:**__** Queen**_

(The Eastern Police Station – Lobby)

Ann looked at the lobby. The death of the other girl had bothered her, but it wasn't just the death that did it. The idea that someone else who was alive had not only violated the poor girl, but took her life as well weighed heavily on her. She took a seat on a bench and reached into her pocket. From it she drew out a picture of a tall American man, herself, and a little boy. She touched it gently and smiled.

"_Jonathan, it's times like this that I really miss you, but it almost seems like a blessing you and Yoshi were spared this,_" she thought.

She looked up from the picture at the front doors the group had managed to shut and somewhat secure. She walked toward the direction they had headed and stopped when she heard the sound of something moving from the other side of a door.

"_It's them,_" she thought as she stepped back.

The scrapping sound began to get louder. Ann began to turn around and run when the door the sound was coming from opened. She turned back around to see a child standing there. The child didn't look hurt, at all. She knelt down as the little one moved toward her.

"Yoshi…" she said softly.

The child opened its mouth and let out a moan before it grabbed onto her and bit into her throat. Ann tried to escape, but the child's grip was that of a dead man's. She tried to scream, but all that came out was a gurgling sound. She fell back as the miniature member of the living dead began to feast on her.

"_Jonathan… Yoshi…_" she thought as her mind slipped off into darkness.

(Eastern Police Motor Pool – Garage – SWAT Van)

Kohta looked at the instructions and took one more look at the engine before giving the thumbs up to Takashi. A moment later the van cranked over twice before it came to life. Kohta walked back toward Takashi as he shut it down. The look on Takashi's face seemed to indicate that there was a problem.

"What's wrong?" Kohta asked.

"The gas gauge says it has about a quarter of a tank of fuel in it. I don't know how far that will take us," he said.

"It might be enough to take us out of the city, but I don't know if it would be much past that. Not to mention it would attract any of _Them_ that are still around," Kohta said.

"Should we even worry about taking it?" Takashi asked.

"I don't know. It's pretty heavy duty, but the Humvee was built better. Still it could be used to help us carry more supplies if we could get a hold of more fuel," Kohta said.

"The gas stations should have fuel in them right?" Takashi asked.

"Sure, but without power I don't think that we can honestly get to it," Kohta answered.

"What about trying to siphon the gas out of those thanks, or at least out of other cars?" Takashi asked.

"We would need some kind of pump for the tanks at the stations, but cars that are just sitting around would be different. We could possibly get the fuel out of them without much problem. Still, it might take a long time to siphon the fuel off, and we can't just be standing around too long," he said.

A sound of something banging against the wall got their attention and they ran out of the motor pool and into main part of the station where they found Saeko wiping off her blade. She turned toward them and shook her head.

"A little one was turned," she said.

Kohta looked behind her to see Ann's now decapitated body lying in a heap. He shook his head and looked away.

"Why wasn't she with the rest of us?" Takashi asked.

"We told her we were going into the motor pool office to look at the maps of the surrounding areas. She said she wanted to get a smoke, and stayed out here in the lobby. It was foolish, but she was determined to stay here for a while. I suppose what happened earlier bothered her a great deal," Saeko answered.

"We can't let this happen again. From this point on we go in pairs. If we go to the bathroom, search a store, or whatever it is we do it together," Takashi said.

"It would be best to move in pairs, but at the same time we need to make sure that when it comes to Alice or Miss Shizuka we make it a group of three," Kohta said.

Takashi nodded. He studied Ann's body for a moment before he looked at Saeko.

"We need to move out as soon as possible. I don't think it's a good idea to stay here too long," Takashi said.

"We agree," Saya said as she walked toward them.

"Before we go it would be best if we look this place over for weapons," she said.

"You mean look for the Armory!" Kohta exclaimed.

"Exactly. There should be one, and we thought that you might have an idea of where they would put it," Saya said.

Kohta thought for a moment and looked at the hall they were in. Most of the doors were marked, but there was one that seemed to be unmarked. He walked toward it and pushed on the door. While it appeared to be merely a normal wooden door the feeling it gave was that of a reinforced steel door. He tapped on it twice and heard the difference in the sound from a normal wooden door.

"This is it," he said.

"Wait, they put it out in the open?" Saya asked.

"The best way of hiding something is usually in the open," he said as he tried the door.

"It's locked," he said.

"Where would they have the keys?" Takashi asked.

"Most likely a ranking officer has the keys on them, or they are in a safe. If the safe is a time lock safe then we aren't getting them out of it. The moment the EMP fried everything any safe that has a computerized locking instantly locked when the components fried. That's they way they are made," Saya said.

"If we had a power drill I could get into the room," Kohta said.

Saya's eyes lit up for a moment and she ran back toward the motor pool office. A few moments later she came out with a canvas bag. She put the bag on the floor and fished something out of it handing it to Kohta.

He looked at the drill and realized that it was one they had brought from the school. He looked at the drill itself and placed it against the door and squeezed the trigger. A grinding sound erupted from the door knob as the drill bit into it. Kohta held it in place and pushed forward as the drill, little by little, began eating into the key hole.

"We should be through in a couple of minutes. It was really lucky you held on to this," he said.

"It wasn't luck. I'm a genius and I knew we might need it. I'll admit that I considered to throwing it away when we arrived at the Shopping Center, but I decided to hold on to it when I saw the flashlight Alice had worked," she said.

The drill stopped and seemed to whine loudly as Kohta tried to move it. He switched it to reverse, and backed it out a little before switching it back to forward and pushed hard against it. A loud cracking sound came from the door itself and then the drill seemed to go all of the way through. He pulled the drill out and set it aside before he opened the door.

Saya walked in behind Kohta, and whatever she had expected it wasn't this. The room was practically empty. There was nothing left inside of it. Kohta checked the shelves, gun lockers, but it looked like everything, with the exception of a single tore down 9mm Glock 22 series. Kohta looked at the pistol and shook his head.

"It's missing a lot of parts. This was worthless," he said.

"How… How can there be nothing?" Takashi asked.

"Think about it. They left out of here and they grabbed every spare weapon they had. It makes a lot of sense," Kohta said.

"He's right. Wait, the evidence room! I doubt that they checked it!" Saya exclaimed.

They followed Saya as she looked down the hall and saw the sign pointing toward the evidence room.

"Here it is," Saya said as she pushed against the door.

They walked inside to see rolls upon rolls of shelves lined up. The four of them nodded to each other and split into two groups. Kohta looked at Saya as they began to check the shelves. She stopped at one of the boxes which had the evidence from an armed robbery and handed the box to Kohta. He opened it and pulled out a pair of Colt XSE Commander style pistols. He also found two clips for them and smiled.

"These are the…" he began before Saya shook her head.

"Will they work?" she asked.

"Sure, it looks like they were just tagged and put in here," he said.

"Good, lets keep looking," she said.

When they had finished they had found the pair of Colt XSE Commander .45 pistols, a Browning 12 gauge pump shotgun, a Browning Automatic Rilfe – Which Kohta geeked out about – and a 9 mm Glock 21 series. Kohta took the Glock and looked at Saeko.

"You should really carry this. I know that you prefer a sword, but there are times that you won't be able to use the sword, and having a backup weapon is going to be useful," he said.

She nodded and thanked him. They began to leave when he saw something against the wall. He walked over and practically jumped up and down.

"What is it?" Saya asked.

He revealed a Heckler and Koch MP5. She studied it for a moment and held out her luger.

"I want to do more to help, and that would be able to kill more of _Them_ right?" she asked.

"Yeah… It would," he said.

"I'll trade you," she said.

He looked at her and nodded.

"Thank you Takagi," he said as he looked down.

"You can call me Saya," she replied.

"Tha… Thank you Saya," he said with a happier voice.

Takashi and Saeko walked out. Kohta waited for a moment and then looked at her.

"If you need to talk," he said.

"Thanks… I will want to later," she said.

(Motor Pool – Garage)

"We have a choice to make," Takashi said as Saya and Kohta walked into the garage.

"We can continue on foot, or we can take the van. Kohta and I looked at it earlier, and to be honest there isn't a whole lot of fuel in it. We could siphon some out of different vehicles along the way, but there is no way of telling how long it will take to do it each time. In order to get it out of gas stations we're going to need a hand pump," Takashi said.

"Isn't there one here?" Rei asked.

"We checked, and it looks like it was taken," Kohta said from behind her.

"It's possible we could find one in an auto parts store, or maybe even at large mega store. Still, that means going into an area that might be filled with them. So, the question is do we want to use this or not," Takashi said.

"It could be of some help, especially if we come across areas we need to get through quickly," Saeko said.

"But at the same time it will be drawing _Them_ to it because of the sound," Saya replied.

"It will give us a chance to carry more supplies," the middle school girl piped in.

"Yes, but that's more supplies we have to deal with if it breaks down," Rei said.

"It could serve as a temporary shelter when we need one," Miss Shizuka said.

"Whatever we do with it we need to decide fast," Takashi said.

"It does have limited bullet proof abilities," Kohta said.

They turned to look at him.

"It's not just the dead we need to worry about. There are more than likely some people still alive who are using this as an excuse to do whatever they want. The van could give us a chance to bypass some of that," he said, "However, if we take it the simple fact we have it might be more than enough reason for someone to attack us. After all we have a means of transportation."

"Take it," Rei said, "It would be more of a help than a hindrance."

"Good enough. Okay, Miss Shizuka, if you'll take the wheel," Takashi said as he threw her the keys.

She caught them and smiled as she climbed inside of the large van. It rumbled to life after a moment. Takashi and Kohta ran toward the garage doors and began manually opening it. When they did there was a sound of moaning coming from outside. They moved back and watched as multiple walking corpses began to spill into the room. Both of them headed toward the van where the girls had already started filling it with the weapons and food they had. The entire group loaded into it and Miss Shizuka gave the SWAT van the gas making it lurch forward and slam into the bodies that had wondered into the area.

_**(AN: Little longer chapter than last time. I know I gave them a ride, but don't expect it too last too long. Still I wanted to do something for them. It seems like someone is dying practically with every chapter, but when the world is ending that's the kind of thing that just happens. Anyway, I've had fun writing this, and I hope that everyone else has had fun reading it. Later Days: LF)**_


	8. Chapter 7 Livin' on the Edge

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 7 : Livin' On the Edge**_

_**There's somethin' wrong with the world today**_

_**I don't know what it is**_

_**Something's wrong with our eyes**_

_**We're seein' things in a different way**_

_**And God knows it ain't his**_

_**It sure ain't no surprise**_

_**Livin' on the edge**_

_**Livin' on the edge**_

_**Livin' on the edge**_

_**Livin' on the edge**_

_**There's somethin' wrong with the world today**_

_**The light bulb's gettin dim**_

_**There's meltdown in the sky**_

_**If you can judge a wise man**_

_**By the color of his skin**_

_**Then mister you're a better man than I**__**:**__** Aerosmith**_

(Six Kilometers from the Eastern Police Station)

Rei looked out of the front windshield as she rode beside Miss Shizuka. The older blond woman seemed to be intently watching the roadway before Rei gasped.

"What is it Miyamoto?" she asked.

"This… this is my neighborhood. Please turn here!" she exclaimed.

Miss Shizuka nodded and turned toward the direction Rei indicated and the large vehicle rumbled down the narrow street as Rei watched for her house. Her eyes widened as they neared her home.

"Oh no," she whimpered as the SWAT van stopped.

Before anyone could say a word she jumped out of the van and ran toward the now ransacked and damaged looking home. She walked through the front door, which was hanging wide open, and held her hand over her mouth. Bloody hand prints, obvious signs of struggle, and broken dishes were everywhere.

"MOM! DAD!" she screamed.

"Rei wait!" Takashi shouted as he ran toward the house.

"MOM!" she shouted again as she ran deeper into her home. Takashi finally caught up to her and saw her looking at the state of the living room. There was more blood, and a couple o corpses, but neither of them appeared to be her mother or father.

"Rei," he said.

"Th… They're not here," she said quietly.

"Isn't that good? It means they're not dead," he said.

"We don't know that… We don't know what's going on or anything!" she screamed.

She turned toward him and buried her face into his shoulder and began to weep.

"They're gone," she said between sobs, "My parents, they're gone."

He held her and gently rubbed her back not sure what to say, or do. It was obvious she was starting to break down. Saeko had seen it earlier when she held Rei, and he knew it was coming as well. He began to lead her back outside when she stopped an shook her head.

"I… I want to stay here," she said.

"Rei, it's dangerous. We can't stay here," he said.

"I know, and I'm not going to ask you to, but I want to. This is my home Takashi. My parents are going to come back here at some point," she reasoned.

He looked at her with a complete loss for words. His expression changed from confusion to one of anger. In a single movement he pulled her against him and looked into her eyes with an almost feral look in his eyes.

"You do not get to throw your life away," he snarled.

"Ta…"she started before he shook her.

"No, you listen and you listen good Rei. You do not get to throw everything away. We depend on you, and you don't get to throw that away because of this. Maybe your parents are alive, maybe not, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because right now you are alive! If you want to find them we'll look for them, but staying here isn't going to happen!" he exclaimed.

"You… You have no right to tell me what to do!" she shouted back.

"The fuck I don't! Staying here is insane, and I won't watch you throw everything away because you're scared! We need you," he said

He let go of her and she backed up. He watched as she shook for a moment and finally she nodded. She walked toward the van and stopped before she got there.

"Don't ever talk to me like that again Takashi," she said.

"I'll talk to you however I have to in order to keep you alive," he said back.

She climbed into the front of the van while Takashi climbed in the back with the others. Kohta looked at him and shrugged his shoulders as they started to move again. Miss Shizuka turned onto another street and stopped the van as she watched a woman standing out in front of a house screaming at the occupants inside.

"Goddamn it open up! I got the supplies we were needing, so open the fucking door!" the woman screamed.

Rei's eyes got wide as she looked at the woman She rolled down the window and stuck her head out of it.

"Mom!" she shouted.

The woman turned toward the van and dropped the baggage she had and ran toward it.

"Rei! Rei!" she screamed as she neared it and tore the passenger door open. The older woman hugged Rei tightly.

"My baby. I thought you were dead," she said softly as she stroked her daughter's back.

Takashi watched as Rei's mother held her and gently stroked her daughter's back. He had resided himself to being the person who would have to deal with the aspect of helping Rei deal with the fact her parents were dead. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, especially since Rei's own emotional state was constantly deteriorating. He opened the back of the SWAT van and walked around where the two were at.

"Mrs. Miyamoto," he said.

"Takashi? Takashi! It's so good to see you!" she said as she looked at him.

"It's good to see you too. What are you doing out here?" he asked.

She looked at the house behind her and shook her head.

"I was staying with neighbors until we began to run low on food, medical supplies, and the like. So, I left the safety of the house and headed toward the nearest convenience store. I found all of the supplies we needed, but they won't open back up!" she shouted toward the house.

"You might be infected!" a muffled voice shouted back.

"We're leaving, and heading toward the grade school nearby. Your husband had written a note about going there," Takashi said.

"Don't…" Kiriko said as she shook her head.

"Mom?" Rei asked.

"The grade school was over run. I… I was reenlisted into the Police department, and went to help Tadashi… He made me leave before those things burst through the front door. I helped several people get to the buses, but they were running out of room, and I made sure the students got away first. I don't know what happened to Tadashi…" she said in a whisper.

"Dad's… he has to be okay," Rei said.

"I don't know. I know he's a good man, and a strong one, but he was one of the officers who stayed inside to draw those things away from the children and other people taking shelter in the grade school. I pray he is fine," she said.

"We need to move, now," Kohta said as he stepped out and fired a shot killing one of the living dead that was getting closer to them.

Kiriko looked at the van and then at the surroundings. It was obvious the noise was causing a small multitude to come toward them. She looked back at the house and shook her head.

"This might be your only chance to get out of here!" she shouted.

"No!" a voice shouted back.

"There are a lot more of these things! They will eventually get in there!" she shouted to them.

"Leave us alone! We're safe in here!" the same voice shouted back.

"Let's go. I've seen people like that before, and they aren't going to leave," Takashi said.

They climbed back into the van and once again it began to speed away from the large group of the living dead.

"Where should we go?" Miss Shizuka asked.

The entire van seemed to be silent. Finally Kohta cleared his throat and looked at everyone.

"We need to find a place to rest. I know we've been moving for almost twenty – four hours straight, and we can't keep it up," he said.

"Fine, we find a place to take a rest, but where?" Saya asked.

"It needs to be a secure place, and hopefully one that is defensible. Some place like Sensei Marikawa's friend's place would be best," he suggested.

"Fat chance of finding a place like that again," Saya replied.

"Maybe not… I think I might know a place," Kohta said.

They looked toward him as he began to give Shizuka directions. They drove until it started to become dark, but the entire time Kohta continued to give Shizuka the directions to some strange place. Finally they arrived outside of an iron gate with a large chain and pad lock on it. Kohta opened the back door to the van and looked around carefully. He motioned toward Takashi and Saeko. The two others followed him out and walked toward the gate.

"What is this place?" Takashi asked.

"Dad looked at this place a couple of years ago. It had been a private spa, but it ended up closing down because of a scandal between the American Investor and one of the Government officials' wives. It was really big news for a while, and it caused the banks to foreclose on the place. Dad had thought about buying along with a few other jewelers, and making it into a retreat. They could never really decide on how much each person should put in though," Kohta said as he tested the chain.

"I don't want to have to shoot the lock off, but we might have to," he said.

"Wait a minute," Takashi replied.

He ran back toward the van and then came back with the crowbar. They placed the tip of the crowbar in lock and pushed hard. When they did the old lock made a straining sound before it clicked open. Kohta removed it and then motioned for the van to go up the driveway. Once the van was through he pushed the gate back closed.

"I wonder if there are any of them here?" Takashi asked.

Kohta shrugged his shoulders as the three of them walked up toward where the van had stopped. The old hotel looked imposing as it stood there. Kohta moved toward the driver's window and knocked on it. Shizuka rolled down the window and smiled at him.

"We're going to check the inside of the hotel. This place hasn't been used in a while, but that doesn't mean they're might not be any of them," he said.

She nodded and rolled the window up. He walked toward the back and opened the doors.

"Can someone hand me a flashlight?" he asked.

Saya climbed out of the van and looked at him.

"I'll go with you," she said.

"Takagi, it might be better for you to stay," he said.

"No, you need an extra set of eyes, and do any of the rest of you know how to read the layout maps for this kind of place? I do. I know what to look for, and it would be smart for me to go with you," she said.

"Takagi has a point," Saeko said.

Kohta nodded, but looked far from convinced. He walked up to the door and tried it. It creaked open and they stepped inside of the long empty building. The fact there was a layer of dust on almost everything told the group that there hadn't been anyone here for quite some time. They walked further into the building and Kohta stopped at what had to the office. He tried the door and it, like the outer door, creaked open. He stepped in with Saya standing behind him. He looked at the desk, and then at the wall.

"There should be something in here shouldn't there be?" he asked.

She nodded and walked around the desk shinning the light on it and the walls until she seemed to have spotted something. Her eyes widened and she grabbed the binder she had found. She opened and breathed out a sigh.

"This is it. This is the layout map for the hotel, the spas, and the bath houses," she said.

"Dad said it was really impressive. To be honest it looks better inside than I expected it to," Kohta replied.

"It was built really well. The entire thing seems to be heavily influenced by the west," Saya stated.

"That was the American Investor. He believed it would bring more business from tourists if it was familiar, and at the same time he wanted to give everyone else a taste of something a bit more exotic," Kohta said.

She looked at him and then back at the binder.

"What's the plan?" Saeko asked from outside.

"We rest here," Saya said.

(Two hours later on the second floor – Suite 208)

Saya walked into the section of the suite Kohta was sitting in. The entire room was sparse, but so was the rest of the suite. Kohta had suggested it, and although she didn't want to agree with the chubby Otaku it was a smart idea. It wasn't like there was any need for the old electronics, and besides much more than the bedding would simply be in the way.

"Can't sleep?" Kohta asked.

She shook her head and walked toward him. She took a seat beside him and looked out the window he had been facing. He had, of course, turned to watch her as she walked in, and she could tell his eyes was still on her.

"Any reason you're still looking at me?" she asked.

"Sorry, just sort of can't help it," he said as he turned around.

She shook her head and a wry smile crossed her face. Despite all of the time they had been together he still liked her. She had intentionally been bitchy toward him in the beginning simply because she believed he was a loser, but he proved her wrong. He had proven a lot of people wrong when it came down to it.

"Do we need to get more supplies?" she asked.

"We should be okay for the next week or so, but after that the canned goods are going to run out. I'm surprised we managed to get the supplies we could when we had to leave the shopping center," Kohta answered.

"That was because we all worked together," she said as she neared him.

"I know I give you a hard time. Actually I give you a harder time than anyone else, and it's not fair," she said.

"It's fine," he said with his usual crooked smile.

"No, it isn't. I shouldn't have been like that you. You've went out of your way to help me, and I've thrown it back into your face. I'm sorry," she said.

"Takagi…" Kohta began before she shook her head.

"It's Saya. Please, just call me Saya," she said before she sat down beside him.

Kohta sat there lightly wringing his hands together before he looked at her. He waited for her to reprimand him for looking over at her, but instead she simply looked at her own hands.

"I've had to do a lot of growing up. I'm not saying I'm not a genius, I am, but I've had to learn what means to be an adult. I was good at school work, at being the best, and at learning about the world, but when it came down to it I wasn't ready for a world like this. You were. You were able to take a nail gun and make it into a weapon. You were even more ready for this than Komuro. He just picked up how it was and learned how to deal with it, but… it was different with you," she said.

"I'm not that much different than Komuro. I had no idea I was going to be fighting _Them_ when I woke up that morning," he said.

"No, but you faced _Them_, and you kept me safe. You even protected me when you could have easily left me behind. It would have been easier to do that, but you didn't. I'm sorry I never noticed before," she said as she leaned in and kissed him.

The kiss was gentle, soft, sweet, and far different than the kiss she had given him when they first escaped from the shopping center. That kiss had been all about need. He knew that she wasn't kissing him then because she liked him. She was kissing him because he was close, he was available, and she needed comfort. He had to admit that he liked this kissing better.

Slowly the kissing changed, and it became more passionate. He felt the heat of her breath as she pulled away, and she hesitated for a moment. Then she leaned forward and let her hands feel of him through his shirt. She helped him take off his jacket and shirt and her hands gently touched him. She kissed him again and leaned into him.

"Saya…" he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, and I want to show you how much each and every day if you will let me," she said.

She wasn't sure exactly when she lost her shirt, but it didn't seem to matter to her. His hands touched her so gently that it almost felt like they were barely there. She grinded her hips against him and could feel the bulge growing. He watched as she stepped back and peeled her shorts and panties off.

"Saya, are you sure?" he asked.

"It's the only thing that I'm completely sure about," she said.

(Suite 208 – Takashi's Room)

Takashi leaned against the bed and groaned to himself. He could hear sounds coming from Kohta's room, and he knew it was only a matter of time before his two friends found each other. With Kohta it was more than obvious how he felt about Saya, but Saya had fought her feelings. He knew she had fought them hard, and it had been the brief time Asami had been with them that her true feelings began to shine through.

He, however, had a different problem. Besides being the leader of their little band he was also stuck between a rock and a hard place. He had feelings toward both Rei and Saeko that was difficult, at best, to get around. With Rei there was such a long standing history. The promise they made as children was still there, but to be honest so much had changed between them. He breathed out a sigh as his door creaked open. He looked up to see Saeko step inside where he was at.

"Saeko," he said quietly.

"I assume I'm not the only one to hear what I'm certain we all knew was eventually going to come to pass," she said.

"No, I heard them to," he said.

She looked at him and took a seat beside him on the full sized bed he was on.

"Have you thought about the shrine since that day?" she asked.

"More than I should," he replied.

"Do you regret it? Any of it?" she asked.

"No, but at the same time it presents a cross road I confused about. On one hand there is someone who needs stability, comfort, and who I know is a talented warrior. She has found a form of stability in us finding her mother, but how long will it last? The other cross road is one that is just as important to me, and it leaves me where I am," he said.

"I don't want to hurt her either. She is part of my family, as everyone has become, but I can't deny what I feel Takashi," she said.

"Saeko…" he began before she shook her head and crawled up to him.

"Tonight, if only tonight, let there be no one else. This is us, only the two of us, and only what we know we feel," she said.

The kiss was the same as in the shrine. It was passionate, hungry, full of need, want, desire, but there was something else there as well. He had felt the beginnings of it before, but now it had grown. He pulled her close to him and held on to her as they kissed.

"Saeko, I… I love you," he said.

She looked up him and he could see the beginning of two trails of tears. They continued to fall and she hugged him close to her, and kissed his neck softly.

"And I love you Takashi," she said.

(Outside of the abandoned spa and hotel)

A woman dressed in body armor turned and fired on the men following her. She grumbled as she felt the gun click empty. The memory of her partner being killed by the animals she was running from now was still fresh in her mind. She sat the rifle she had been using down, and traded it for the pistol grip riot gun she had picked up earlier. She cocked it and watched as one of the would be attackers came running at her.

BOOM!

The sound of the twelve gauge firing echoed loudly and threw the would be attacker back.

"Okay, the rest of you bastards can come and get some if you dare!" she shouted at them.

Instead of hearing them she heard the moans of the living dead. She stepped back toward the gate and felt the iron bars against her back.

"_I sure didn't think this was how I was going to_ _bite the bullet like this,_" she thought.

She raised the gun to fire on the oncoming horde when she watched one drop on its own accord. She watched as another fell in a heap and like the last its head exploded into a fountain of bone and gore. Before she could say a word she felt the gate move. She turned to see a raven haired beauty with a sword along with a young man. The both of them looked like they were straight out of highschool.

"Come this way please," the boy said.

He closed the gate and wrapped the chain back around it tightly. He then clicked an ancient looking pad lock shut and looked at it for a moment.

"Maybe it will hold," the girl said.

"We can only hope," he replied.

The woman followed them up the road until they stopped in front of what had once been a grand looking hotel. They stepped inside and before she could say a word a familiar face ran toward her.

"RIKA!" Shizuka squealed with excitement.

_**(AN: Wow… I got a little carried away didn't I? Oh well it felt good to do a little writing, and I wanted to update this for everyone who has been following, reviewing, and favoring this story. I know that I've opened an entire can of worms, and at the same time I've helped put some questions to bed. A nice, soft, fluffy bed filled with some of my favorite things. That said I've been wanting to bring Rika into the story for some time. I also felt that having her face a group of living people would be better, especially since she has already dealt with the dead so much. I hope that the story hasn't let anyone down yet, and please, keep the reviews coming.**_

_**Thanks so very much, LF)**_


	9. Deleted Scenes Info

This is not a new chapter, in the sense of a new chapter, but rather it's to give a bit of information. Because of the T rating of Brand New World I had to exclude some bits and pieces from chapter 7. I've decided to include them in a companion piece which basically has the lemony bits. I hope that you all enjoy it.

Have a good one,

PS it's not including the dot net / between fanfiction and the s. So, hope this helps.

LF

www. fanfiction s / 8576864/ 1/


	10. Chapter 8 Sympathy for the Devil

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 8 : Sympathy for the Devil**_

_**Please allow me to introduce myself  
I'm a man of wealth and taste  
I've been around for a long, long year  
Stole many a mans' soul and faith  
And I was round when Jesus Christ  
Had his moment of doubt and pain  
Made damn sure that Pilate  
Washed his hands and sealed his fate  
Pleased to meet you  
Hope you guess my name  
But what's puzzling you  
Is the nature of my game  
I stuck around St. Petersburg  
When I saw it was a time for a change  
Killed the czar and his ministers  
Anastasia screamed in vain**__**:**__** Rolling Stones**_

(Abandoned Hotel and Spa – Suite 208 – Main Room)

Rika looked at the group after they told the entire story of what had happened to the moment they played guardian angels and pulled her out of the mouth of hell. It was hard to believe that highschool kids had been through so much, but then again was it really any different from anything other people had been through? She looked toward Shizuka who's eyes were practically sparkling and grinned a little to herself.

"So Hirano, am I to understand that you made those kill shots from the balcony, with very little lighting, and from a distance of six hundred yards?" she asked.

"Yes, that's right ummm… Sergeant?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm a field Sergeant, and that's impressive. Very few snipers can pull something like that off. In fact most of the ones who did what you did without IR scopes fought in the second World War for Germany, Russia, and the United States," she said with an impressed air.

Saya looked at the way Rika was studying Kohta and cleared her throat causing the older woman to look toward her.

"Why don't you explain what you were doing out here in the first place," Saya said.

Rika looked at her, the way she was possessively standing next to Hirano, and she started to bust a gut laughing. She couldn't stop the flow of laughter escaping her mouth. She looked toward Saya who was beat read and not exactly sure why.

"I take it he's yours' right Pinky?" she asked.

Saya looked at her and tried to think of something to say back to her only to have the older woman shake her head.

"I'm only joking. I was out here looking for Shizuka. When I got her phone call it put a lot of worrying I had at ease. Knowing that she was alive brought me an untold amount of happiness, but unfortunately I couldn't just leave the area I had been assigned to protect. If I did I would have been abandoning my post, and that would have removed my position in the Strategic Defense Force. I couldn't do that, but luckily the Americans ended up coming to the rescue. They were a little late, but better late than never," she said.

"Where's Tajima?" Shizuka asked.

"He didn't make it," Rika said quietly.

"I'm sorry," Shizuka whispered.

"You didn't know," she said.

"Are there any more of the Strategic Defense Force coming?" Kiriko asked.

"No Officer, there isn't. It was a small group of us that came inland, and out of us I'm the only one to make this far. That's not to say it's hopeless. I've been in contact with my commander up until last night. I should be able to make contact tomorrow without too much of a problem," she said.

"How?" Kohta asked.

She pulled out a satellite phone and smirked.

"The satellite should be in line first thing in the morning, so just so I know what's the bunk situation around here?" she asked.

"The boys have been split off from most of us, and we've basically taken over the beds in here," Rei said.

"You can bunk with me!" Shizuka said as she hugged her friend.

"That sounds good, because I could really use some rack," she said.

"We should go ahead and sit up a watch schedule. Since those things heard us there is a chance they might start to gather near the gate," Kohta said.

"What do you think? Take the watch on the first floor?" Takashi asked.

"No, I don't think that we have to do that, but We should consider watching on the balconies," he said.

"I'll take first watch," Kiriko said.

"Mom are you sure?" Rei asked.

"I'm sure. I need a little air, and besides it's not going to hurt me to play mother hen a little while," she said.

Kohta handed her a pair of binoculars.

"Let one of us know if you see something," he said.

She watched him walk toward his room, and Saya followed him. For a moment she considered saying something, but instead she held her tongue. After all she and Tadashi weren't much different when they had been that age. She breathed in the crisp night air once she was outside and looked at the world outside. The moon was bright and it gave the entire yard in front of a sort of unearthly glow.

"_Are you alive Tadashi? If you are will I see you again?_" she thought.

(Outside of the hotel and spa)

"That fucking bitch made it in there," a voice said in a whisper.

"We better not try to get in tonight. There are too many of these dead fuckers around," another voice said.

"The bitch shot Tetsuo!" the first voice growled.

"And his dumb ass ran at her when she still had a gun. We fucking saw what she did earlier with one," the second voice said.

"Fuck that noise. I say we go in there, hit them hard, take their bitches, and kill the rest," the first voice said.

"Are you really this fucking stupid?" another voice asked.

"You want to say something to me Mother Fucker? Huh? You wanna say something to my motherfucking face?!" the first voice screamed.

-BANG- the sound of a gun firing went off and it was followed by a sigh.

"And that's why we don't let hopefuls get too full of themselves," the third voice said.

"We better move boss," the second voice replied.

"Yes, we can't stay here. Let those things eat him. He's no good to us now," the third voice stated.

"We are coming back tomorrow though right?" the second voice asked.

"Of course we are Yamagata. I want to personally take stock of what they have. The women are important, but not the most important. I believe one of our eyes said they had some kind of transport. I would like to see it," the third voice said.

The sound of footsteps disappeared as the moans of the living dead neared a freshly killed body. The way the body sat it wasn't hard for the living dead to find it, and within seconds the sounds of flesh being ripped from bone filled the air. Of course the noise carried through the night, and more of the living dead followed it toward the feeding frenzy that was already taking place.

(Suite 208 – Shared Bathroom)

Rei marveled at the flow of water into the dusty sink. The hotel and spa had been abandoned, but apparently the realty company, which had been attempting to sale it, was keeping the public works to the building going. If that was the case then perhaps the gas was working as well. She shut off the sink and walked toward the small kitchenette the suite had and turned on the gas stove. For a moment there was nothing, but then the faint hiss of gas filled the air. She shut it off and looked around.

It was difficult to see things in the dark, but she studied the shapes on the counter. It was obvious that most of the common things was left behind, and finally she found a familiar shape. Her fingers brushed it and she smiled as it left a small rectangle shaped space in the dust. She lifted and opened it find a book a matches. She quickly lit one, turned the gas back on, and watched as the burner began to glow a faint orange. It didn't take long for her search the cabinets for a large pot, and after a few minutes she found it.

"_A hot bath is going to feel so good!_" she thought as she ran some water and began heating it on the stove.

It took her nearly half an hour to heat the water for the tub, but when she was finished it was just a little under half filled. She stripped and slipped into the mildly hot water. A delighted sigh escaped her lips a few moments later she looked at the doorway and saw a silhouette standing there. Her eyes focused a bit before she realized it was Saeko.

"Saeko, what's wrong?" Rei asked.

"There is nothing wrong, but when you disappeared I had wondered what happened. This seems, pleasant," Saeko replied.

"It feels wonderful. The gas and water must have been kept on by the realty company, and a hot bath feels so good," she said.

Rei studied Saeko for a moment and looked toward the open door.

"I don't want to lose him you know," she said.

"Neither do I and that leaves us in a strange place," Saeko replied.

"It does. I think of you as a sister, and I know I gave up my rights to Takashi when I left him," Rei said.

"You are my battle sister. We have shared much since the beginning of this, and there will be more shared between us before it ends. I love Takashi, more than I believed it possible to love someone, and regardless of the decision I will stay on and protect everyone because of, and for him," Saeko said.

"You would step out of the way? You say you love him, and you would just let me have him?" Rei asked.

"You misunderstand my battle sister. I am willing to share the greatest man on earth, in my eyes, but are you?" Saeko asked before she turned around.

"S…Share?!" Rei exclaimed.

(Balcony outside of Takashi's room)

Kiriko watched the street outside of the overgrown lawn of the hotel and spa. She could see a huge grouping of the living dead, but they weren't near the fence. Instead they seemed to be gathering against the tree-line across the road. She narrowed her eyes and stepped back inside. She could see Takashi sleeping quietly and shook her head. It had been foolish of her daughter to throw away what she had with him. When the chips were down Takashi had proven to be a man. She breathed out and prayed to any god that would listen things between them wouldn't be completely ruined. She started to walk past him when he sat up.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's nothing, go back to sleep," she replied.

"We're not kids anymore. I'm not saying that as a teenager, but as someone who has had to grow up. You can tell me," Takashi said.

She nodded and looked at him.

"There is a lot of dead down there," she said.

Takashi got up and walked outside and looked through the binoculars. He watched them for a moment before he stepped back and rapped on Kohta's door. A moment later a basically dressed Kohta answered the door and looked at him.

"What it is?" he asked.

"We're really popular," he said.

Kohta reached behind the wall and grabbed the Springfield rifle. He walked out to the balcony and looked down to where the dead had gathered.

"Something drew their attention over there. Eventually they will lose interest in whatever it was, but I bet it was something living," he said.

"Think it could have been the people who was attacking the Sergeant?" Takashi asked.

"It would make sense. They might have spotted the SWAT van. If they did they may want it, and they might want this place. It's pretty secure," he said.

"How many do you think there is?" Kiriko asked.

"I'm not sure, but it would be best to think in regards of us being outnumbered. Better to overestimate than under," Kohta said.

"Should we wake everyone up?" Takashi asked.

"Yeah, we might have to make a run for it," Kohta said.

_**(AN: Leaving it on a bit of a cliff hanger, but then again that seems to be the norm. I've always believed it's the living element that is worse than the living dead. After all once you figure out how to deal with walking corpses it's not too bad. Again thanks everyone for the reviews, and please, keep them coming.**_

_**Thanks so very much, LF)**_


	11. Chapter 9 Losing My Religion

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 9: Losing My Religion**_

_**Oh life, it's bigger  
It's bigger than you  
And you are not me  
The lengths that I will go to  
The distance in your eyes  
Oh no, I've said too much  
I set it up  
That's me in the corner  
That's me in the spotlight  
Losing my religion  
Trying to keep a view  
And I don't know if I can do it  
Oh no, I've said too much  
I haven't said enough  
I thought that I heard you laughing  
I thought that I heard you sing  
I think I thought I saw you try**__**:**__** R.E.M.**_

(Abandoned Hotel and Spa – Suite 208 – Balcony outside of Kohta and Saya's Room)

Kohta watched as the group of the living dead began to thin out slowly, but there was something more to it. He had heard a gunshot, faintly, but still heard it last night. It was obvious that sound brought the living dead into the direction they had stayed in for so long, but there hadn't been more gunshots. Anyone facing a horde of _Them_ would have fired off a few more shots, or at least attempted to.

"_They didn't even scream,_" he thought.

He felt someone sit down beside him and he looked at Saya who was studying the situation with him.

"It doesn't add up does it?" she asked.

He nodded in agreement and looked back toward the direction he had been looking since last night, and into the morning.

"It doesn't make any sense at all. If it was just someone on their own and they had a weapon, why stop with one shot?" he asked.

"They could have turned it on themselves," she suggested.

"That doesn't make any sense either. These are, or I assume they are, the same people who were chasing down Sergeant Minami. Why would they kill themselves? It doesn't add up," he said.

"What are you thinking happened?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think that someone executed someone out there last night," he said.

She looked at him and studied his face for a moment. The truth was she wanted to believe it was something he wasn't completely sure about, but the way he was intently studying the area told her otherwise. She looked back at the dwindling number of the living dead and wrapped her arms around one of his, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"What do you think they are going to try to do?" she asked.

"The hotel is defensible; there are natural springs here for water, if needed, and areas to grow food. The iron fence and gate are more than strong enough to stop several hundred, and maybe even a couple thousand of those things before they could break through. There is every reason for them to want the place, but I doubt they will stop there. We have transportation, and that's a precious item," he said.

"You think they want the van?" she asked.

"If you had a chance to be on the move, with some kind of shield, and maintained the ability to do it quickly would you turn it down?" he asked.

"Of course not, and neither would they," she said.

"Exactly," he said.

"When do you think they will come?" she asked.

"I don't know. I've been trying to consider when they would attack, but I can't think of anything," he answered.

"It's going to be when we're not ready. They'll want us comfortable when they come," she said.

He looked at her as she studied the area herself. She pointed toward three areas where the brush and tree lines were the highest.

"I would almost bet that is the places they would come from," she said.

"I think we should ask Sergeant Minami as well," he suggested.

"Why?" Saya asked in a huff.

"She's a trained professional, and she might know the kind of tactics they will use. If we can be ready for them then maybe we can drive them off," Kohta said.

"Do… do you want to stay here?" Saya asked.

"It's a nice place, but I don't think it would be wise. There aren't enough people to make this a strong enough defensible place," he answered.

She thought about it and nodded. There was a lot of open ground and it would be far too easy for someone to sneak in if they really wanted to. She almost started to say something else when a knock came from their door.

"Kohta, I'm taking watch," Takashi said.

"Keep an eye on the tree lines," Kohta suggested.

"Sure thing, get some sleep," he replied.

Kohta got up and stretched. He looked around the small divider wall to see Takashi sitting out on his balcony with Saeko. He wasn't sure what was happening between the two, but he hoped it wouldn't affect the group as a whole. He looked at Saya, who grinned at him and walked into the room first, and followed her into the room they shared.

(Kohta's and Saya's room – an hour later)

Saya sighed happily as she studied Kohta. It felt amazing, like last time, and she loved that he holding her so close to him. She could feel his breathing evening out and knew that he had fallen asleep. She turned around and looked into his peaceful face. She left a gentle kiss on his forehead and then got up. She quickly dressed and then stepped out of the room where Miss Shizuka was waiting on her.

"Big night huh?" she asked.

Saya blushed and nodded.

"You know I need to give you an examination, after all I'm your doctor," she replied.

"O…Okay," Saya said.

They walked toward one of the beds that wasn't in use and Miss Shizuka had her to remove her shorts and panties. She did so and the buxom blond fished out a latex glove and began checking her.

"Any bleeding, soreness, discomfort?" Miss Shizuka asked.

"I bleed a little last night, and I was a little sore, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Saya said.

"That's fairly common. It looks like you're fine. I really happy for you and for Kohta. You make such a cute couple!" she squealed.

"Everybody knows don't they?" Saya asked.

"Sweetheart, you screamed loud enough last night that I think the living and the dead know," Miss Shizuka replied.

(Suite 208 – Kitchenette area)

Kiriko sighed as she took a drink of the tea she had fixed. It felt wonderful to taste fresh tea once more, and she savored, every, single, drop as if it was her last. She looked at her daughter and Sergeant Minami as they both sipped at their tea.

"Rei, is there anything you want to talk about?" she asked.

"Mom, right now isn't the time," Rei said.

"Look, I'm not upset if there is. I mean it's the end of the world, and I know Takashi is an honorable sort of guy," she began.

"I think I ruined things with him," she said.

"It's not like you were stooping his best friend right?" Rika asked from where she was leaning against the wall.

She waited for a response, but instead there was just silence.

"Wow… I was just kidding, but this sounds like a better story. What happened?" Rika asked.

"That's personal!" Rei exclaimed.

"Rei!" Kiriko reprimanded her.

"It's okay. It was a personal question, and I know I'm a new comer here. Regardless, it's usually better to get these kinds of things out in the open. If you let them build up inside it can cause trouble," Rika said.

"It began as a way to make Takashi jealous," Rei said deciding to follow Rika's advice.

"Sweetheart?" Kiriko asked.

"I… I wanted Takashi to do something, to act out, to be something better than he was being. So I thought that I would go out with Hisashi. He… He was so sweet and charming, but he wasn't really Takashi. Still, I… I thought that it would do something. It did. I started really liking Hisashi, and finally I just went ahead and broke up with Takashi. I… I… I don't know if there is anything I can do to fix this. I kept bringing up Hisashi and comparing him to him, but he never stopped helping me, defending me, and keeping me safe. Still, I see him with Saeko, and it's different," she said.

Rika began to say something when the sound of gunfire erupted from outside. She dropped her cup of tea and ran toward the balcony where Takashi had shielded Saeko with his body. She pulled him inside and went back for Saeko who was looking at the blood on her. She began to shake with rage as she stood there.

"You hurt him," she muttered toward the direction of the gun fire.

"You shot my Takashi," she said more clearly.

A bullet zipped past her barely scratching her cheek.

"Death shall come to you, and it will be painful. Hirano, cover me!" Saeko said as she jumped from the second floor balcony and landed on the ground in a roll. She pulled her sword and ran toward the direction of guns as Kohta provided cover fire.

"Is she insane?!" Rika asked as she began to fire on the shooters.

Like a woman possessed she moved toward the firing weapons. A man rushed toward her only to lose an arm. Before he could scream in pain she separated his head from his shoulders. She moved, floated, like a butterfly as she began to strike them down. Kohta shot ahead of her, taking shots to disarm some of them, but he realized for everyone he disarmed she simply followed the shot to finish the job. She had no intention to allow any of them to live. All she cared for lay bleeding in his room, and each of those who caused it would pay in their own blood.

_**(AN: and that's a good place to stop. I hope I haven't disappointed anyone, and yeah I figured Saeko going a little off of her rocker would be a good thing. Hopefully Takashi can get patched up quick enough to stop her from losing herself in her blood lust.)**_


	12. Chapter 10 The Man Who Sold the World

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 10: The Man Who Sold the World**_

_**I laughed and shook his hand**_

_**And made my way back home**_

_**I searched for foreign land**_

_**For years and years I roamed**_

_**I gazed a gazely stare**_

_**We walked a million hills**_

_**I must have died alone **_

_**A long, long time ago**_

_**Who knows?**_

_**Not me**_

_**We never lost control**_

_**You're face to face**_

_**With the Man who Sold the World: Nirvana**_

(Takashi's Room)

Shizuka worked on Takashi and grimaced as she realized how bad the wound was. The bullet itself had hit a rib and shattered. She stopped the bleeding, knowing that was all she could do for the moment, and looked toward Rika.

"We have to get him out of here," she said.

"We're in the middle of a firefight," Rika replied.

"He needs supplies I don't have!" Shizuka shouted.

Rika turned toward her, and looked at the boy lying there.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Besides a transfusion I'm going to need some delicate surgical instruments to work with. I don't have any of those here, and I don't know where the closest hospital is," Shizuka stated.

"A hospital…" Rika began before Shizuka shook her head.

"No, he's risked his life to save me before, and I would do the same!" she exclaimed.

"It's clear!" Kohta said.

Rika looked back outside using her scope and could see where Saeko was standing, and looking exhausted, while surrounded by bodies of what looked lower level Yakuza members. She lowered her rifle and shook her head. That girl had taken out a group which had followed her, killed three team mates, and did so with little trouble.

"Can we move him?" Rika asked.

"If we do it carefully yes," Shizuka said.

"That SWAT van, I'm assuming it can travel?" she asked.

Shizuka nodded.

"Let me contact the commander and I will see what I can do about arranging a drop of medical supplies. I think this place would be better to work on him at, but with that gun fight we're going to be really popular really fast," Rika said as she stretched.

"Is… Is he going to die?" Rei asked as she stood at the door way.

"No, I'm not going to let him," Shizuka said with a determined look.

(Takashi's delusions – Fujimi High – Takashi's stairwell)

"I'm surprised you're here," a familiar voice said.

"Hisashi?" Takashi asked as he looked at his friend.

"Long time. I have to admit I'm glad it's not me out there," Hisashi said as he took a seat against the fenced area.

"What happened? I mean, what's going on?" Takashi asked.

"Pretty obvious isn't it? You're dead, or dying. I'm kind of surprised to be honest. The moment you had the stones to kill me I knew you would make it. So, is it because of a girl, and if it is, is she worth it?" Hishashi asked.

"Yeah, she's worth it, but I can't be dead," Takashi said.

"Is that what you think? Well, would you be seeing me if you weren't?" Hisashi asked.

Takashi looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. He walked toward where the staircase was and looked to see hundreds of other students looking confused and lost.

"Something isn't it? I mean it's everyone that died that day. This is one of the few places that isn't crowded," Hisashi said.

"Hishash!" a girl cried out as she ran toward him.

Takashi watched as the girl neared and he recognized her. She was one of the girls from the behind them. She hugged Hishashi and then turned to look at Takashi.

"Wow, is this him?" she asked.

"Yeah, this is the guy who put me out of my misery," he answered.

"Thank you for freeing him," she said with a slight bow.

"What are you talking about?" Takashi asked.

"It's just part of the unfortunate business of being one of _Them_. Not really dead, not really alive. You're just kind of stuck, and forced to see what you've done. It's a sick joke," Hisashi said.

"Why? Why did it happen?" Takashi asked.

"Don't know. I wish I did, but no one seems to know," he answered.

"It's time," the girl said.

"Yeah it is. Sorry man, but we have to go. Hang out here if you want, but we've got to get inside," Hisashi said.

"What's… What's inside?" Takashi asked.

"Answers, all of them you could ever want to know," Hisashi answered.

"What about going back?" Takashi asked.

"If you come inside you can't," the girl said.

"Yeah, it's stay out here and wait, or go inside and find out what you want to know," Hisashi said.

(The SWAT van – near the drop zone)

"No!" Shizuka shouted.

She began working on him in an attempt to Takashi from dying.

Saeko knelt down near him and looked at his paling face.

"You said I was the best woman you ever knew, that you did and would always be in awe of me, and if you mean that you will not leave me. Do not leave this life before we have a chance," Saeko whispered into his ear.

He took a deep breath as the van drove out of the city. Kiriko slammed on the breaks as they neared what looked like a large parachute covered box. Kohta looked out the back window and made sure it was clear before he opened it and both he and Rika got out to provide cover for Saya and Rea as they grabbed the supplies and carried them back toward the van. Once they were inside both Kohta and Rika stepped back inside.

"Where to?" Kiriko asked.

"Somewhere stable and clean," Shizuka said.

"I don't know if there is anywhere like that anymore," Kiriko replied.

"I don't know if it's clear or not, but there is a chance that one of the relief bunkers may be empty. If it is then we have a chance, however slight, to patch him up," Rika said.

"Relief bunker?" Rei asked.

"We learned about them in social sciences Rika. We began setting up relief warehouses and bunkers in case of emergencies. They are known to government officials, emergency personnel, and law enforcement agencies," Saya said.

"Very good. There is one about sixteen kilometers to the south. It's going to look like a standard warehouse from the outside. We get there, open the gates, go inside, and close the gates. Hopefully we won't have too many friends on the way," Rika said.

Kiriko nodded and turned the SWAT van toward the direction Rika said and began driving. All of the while they passed a few of _Them_, but not to the degree they expected. When they reached the area Kiriko held her hand over her mouth. The gate was closed, but it looked like dozens of _Them_ had been killed and their heads put on spikes.

"W… What is this?" she asked.

"A warning," Rika said.

"What kind of warning? What's going on?" Kohta asked as he looked at the situation.

"Someone has been busy and wants people to know this is their turf. It doesn't matter. We need in the bunker. Hirano, you and I are going to provide cover, Saeko, you and Rei get the gate open. Once the van is inside both of you slip inside and we'll follow you," Rika said.

The girls nodded and waited as Kohta and Rika got out of the van. The girls opened the gate and the van began to move. They pulled in when the sound of several motorcycles began to roar in the distance.

"Move, now!" Rika shouted.

They got inside and closed the gate. Once it closed they watched as a group of punks began to circle the gate.

"What do we have here?" one of them asked.

"Looks like someone is trying to settle in the neighborhood," another answered.

"This is capsule territory kiddies," a large man said as he got off of a motorcycle.

"I'm with the SDF," Rika said.

"Lady, what there was is no more, and all that exists are those who have, and those who have not," he said.

No sooner had he said that then his head erupted into a shower of blood and bone. The others turned around from the direction of the blast and looked at an American man dressed like an American version of a biker stood across from them. He winked and whistled at the other bikers.

"Well, hi boys remember me?!" he shouted as he fired again hitting one of the bikes tanks.

"Get him!" one of them shouted.

"Is that gasoline I smell?" he asked as he pulled out a lighter.

"SCATTER!" another screamed as the rest of them raced off. He watched as they disappeared and walked toward the gate.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Rika asked.

"Name's Sex Machine, and it's a pleasure to meet girlie," he said.

She raised an eyebrow at the name.

"Are you a member of the Hell's Angels?" Kohta asked.

"Good eye, and yeah I am. Sergeant of Arms, and I'm here helping our brothers, or was. What are you doing here? This is Capsule territory," he said.

"We're helping someone, what about you?" Rika asked.

"I'm just doing a little infiltration and elimination for the brothers. You said you are helping someone?" he asked.

"A friend was shot," Kohta answered.

"One of the brother's wife is a doctor. If you're willing to do a little bartering we might be able help each other," he said.

_**(AN: Another chapter down. Okay, the character Sex Machine is a direct rip from **__**From Dusk to Dawn**__**. I've been wanting to introduce some 1percenters and I thought who better than the Hell's Angels. I know that they are officially a multination 'club' and it's not unusual for some of the members to travel overseas in order to help forming clubs and the like.)**_


	13. Chapter 11 Ballad

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 11: Ballad**_

_**Mommy? Where's Daddy?**_

_**He's been gone for so long.**_

_**Do you think he'll ever come home?**_

_**I was gone for fourteen days**_

_**I could've been gone for more**_

_**Held up in the intensive care ward**_

_**Lyin' on the floor**_

_**I was gone for all those days**_

_**But I was not all alone**_

_**I made friends with a lot of people**_

_**In the danger zone**_

_**See my lonely life unfold**_

_**I see it everyday**_

_**See my only mind explode**_

_**Since I've gone away**_

_**I think I've lost some weight there and I**_

_**I'm sure I need some rest**_

_**Sleeping don't come very easy**_

_**In a straight white vest**_

_**Sure like to see them little children**_

_**She's only four years old**_

_**I'd give her back all of her play things**_

_**Even- even the ones I stole**_

_**I wanna get out of here**_

_**I wanna get out of here**_

_**I- I've gotta- I've gotta get out of here**_

_**I- I gotta get out of here**_

_**I gotta get out of here**_

_**I gotta get out of here**_

_**I gotta get out of here**_

_**I gotta get out of here**_

_**They gotta let me out of here**_

_**Let me out of here**_

_**I gotta get out of here**_

_**Let me out of here**_

_**Gotta get out of here**_

_**Gotta get out of here**_

_**Gotta get out of here**_

_**Gotta get out of here**_

_**Gotta get out of here: The Ballad of Dwight Fry by Alice Cooper**_

(Emergency Bunker – Capsule Territory – Makeshift Operation Room – thirty minutes later)

Shizuka looked at the ebony skinned woman who was working with her. The woman seemed to know her way around a trauma situation pretty easily. After a few moments the woman looked toward Shizuka and breathed out a sigh.

"You've done a great job on this before I got here. How often have you had to deal with these kinds of injuries?" the woman asked.

"This is my first," Shizuka answered.

"Impressive. I wish I could say it was my first," the woman said as she studied Takashi's face.

"What kind of chances did we give him?" she asked.

"Better than fifty – fifty, but I don't know how much better. The area was clean, there was no sign of infection, but he's lost a lot of blood. He might make it, and he might not. Regardless you've done a damned fine job," the woman said.

"Where did you practice?" Shizuka asked.

"Once upon a time I practiced in the United States, specifically in Oklahoma, and I was good at my job. It's just I did some things under the table. It came to light, and I lost my license. I still have the knowledge, but I can't legally practice anymore," she said as she dug through her pockets and pulled out a pack of Silk Cut cigarettes and held it out toward Shizuka, "Want one?"

Shizuka shook her head and the other woman shrugged her shoulders. She stepped out of the operating room and lit up. Shizuka looked at Takashi and studied his condition. In all truth he was stable, and that was the best they could expect. She stepped out behind the woman.

"How did you end up here?" Shizuka asked.

The woman laughed a little, and shook her head.

"That's a long, long story," she said.

"We have nothing but time," Shizuka replied.

"Okay… but like I said, it's a long, long story," the woman said.

(Six months ago – Tulsa Oklahoma – Saint Frances Hospital)

"Karen, damn girl, that was a tight situation back there. I don't know how you managed to pull that kid through it," a man in a pair of surgical scrubs said.

"I did what I had to do," Karen replied.

She looked at herself in the reflection of a window and studied the darkening under her eyes. She had already been up thirty – two hours, and getting off for a couple of days sounded like heaven.

"So, any plans?" the man asked.

"Not really, I think that I'll just veg out, watch some T.V., and maybe see if Paul is around," she said.

"You need to be careful. Look, I know you don't want to hear it, but being married to someone like that isn't healthy," he said.

"Stop it. Paul's a good man, and he's done nothing but help make sure I made something of myself. Besides, he's hung like a horse," she said as she walked.

"Still doesn't mean it's safe," he said as she turned the corner.

She walked toward the locker in the employee area and heard her phone going off. She fished it out of her purse and punched the send key.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Karen, how fast can you get to Ike's?" Paul asked.

"Maybe… ten minutes why?" she asked.

"Get here and soon, the sons of bitching Mongols jumped us! They blasted Teddy, and John's gone!" Paul exclaimed.

"Jesus, all right I'm on my way baby," she whispered.

The entire drive toward Ike's she didn't know what to think or expect. The truth of the matter was she knew this kind of thing could happen, but she didn't expect it here. She pulled into the yard and saw what looked like a warzone. Bullet holes seemed to riddle everything outside, but once she stepped inside it was worse. Nancy, Ike's wife, was busy trying to stop the bleeding on her sixteen year old daughter. Beside her was Teddy with a massive wound in his gut.

"Dear God, Nancy, I'll take care of Clare, get me some towels, thick ones, I also need alcohol. The stronger the better," Karen said.

Nancy nodded and took off. She went to work on Clare and stopped the bleeding, which was coming from flesh wound, and then turned to Teddy. She could already tell it was more than bad. A faint stench was wafting up from it, and she knew it meant gangrene was sitting up. She began to work on him and looked toward Paul.

"When did this happen?" she asked.

"Fifteen minutes ago. They heard about the lab," he said.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. It would figure the entire thing would have happened over a meth lab. She turned her head when the front door slammed open and saw several officers starting to storm in. She turned to Paul who looked at her and shook his head.

"On the ground now!" one of them screamed.

"This man is bleeding to death! I'm trying to save his life!" she screamed back at him.

"Officer Strong, is that man alive?" The lead officer asked.

The other officer looked at him and shook his head.

"Looks like he bled out when we got here sir. Now, on the ground now!" Officer Strong shouted.

(Present – Emergency Bunker – Outside of the makeshift Operation room)

"They arrested you?" Shizuka asked.

"Not enough evidence to convict me, but more than enough circumstance to cause me to lose my license. Not long after that Sex Machine was coming over here to help out the brothers over here. Paul asked that he bring me with him. It was the best chance I had of getting away from the Mongols and keep practicing. After we got here everything went to hell," Karen said.

"Do you think that your husband is…" Shizuka began.

"If he was out in the open nothing could stop him, but he went to Big Mac, that's the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, and I'm pretty sure those places have been over run. I will say this though. Paul made those bastards fight for their supper. He wasn't the kind to just roll over," Karen said.

(Emergency Bunker – Armory)

Saya looked at Kohta as he studied the guns in the room. It was mainly riot guns, standard police pistols, a few M-16's, and half a dozen tear gas canister launchers. He was studying the weapons and then heard Rika walk into the room and breathe out a sigh.

"What did your commander say?" Saya asked.

"They said making an alliance with the angels might be in the best interest for the time being. In fact I'm supposed to ask our guests if they will think about coming to the safe zone and officially work toward reclaiming our land," Rika said.

"Do you think they will do it?" Kohta asked.

She shook her head and looked toward the door.

"No, I've seen their kind before. They have honor among themselves, but they won't work for any form of government. They might make an alliance with us, and agree to help control the chaos out here, but that's about all I would expect from them. I should be glad they didn't decide to take the place themselves," Rika said.

"What about the Capsules?" Kohta asked.

"According to _Sex Machine_ the brothers are keeping watch," she said.

"What do you know about the Hell's Angels Kohta?" Saya asked.

"Some, but not a huge amount. When I learned how to shoot my teacher told me about them. He said that a lot of the members are ex – military. It started when they came back from World War II. He said that most of the guys that join it did so because they just couldn't fit back into the world," Kohta said.

"It's not that cut and dry," a voice said from behind Rika.

They turned to see Sex Machine walking into the armory and looking at the guns.

"Taking inventory?" Rika asked.

"To be honest we already have a lot of this kind of stuff. I wasn't lying when I said we want medical supplies and food," he answered.

She nodded and cleared her throat. He looked at her and cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I was asked to extend an alliance and perhaps an offer to join the SDF in taking back the land," she said.

"I can talk to the bothers, but more than likely they'll pass. Most of the guys here are cut from the same cloth the brothers back home are," he said.

"What kind of cloth is that?" Saya asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"The kind that says don't fuck with us and we won't fuck with you, but if you do… We'll roast your dog, burn your house down, and piss on the ashes," he answered her.

"Are your people coming here?" he asked Rika.

"Actually, they are coming to take full inventory of what is here and what we'll need," she said.

"You should warn them about the areas the Capsules have trapped a lot of those dead fucks behind. They're set up so that they can let them out if they start to lose ground," he replied.

"How many?" she asked.

"I don't know. Hundreds, thousands maybe," he said.

(Makeshift operating room)

Saeko stepped into the room and looked at Takashi as he lay on the table. She gently touched his face and studied him.

"S…Saeko?" he barely said.

She smiled and hugged him.

"Don't scare me like that again," she said softly.

"You were worth it. I told them you were," he said.

"Shh, you need to rest," she said.

"I told Hisashi you were worth it," he said looking at her.

She smiled and then looked up to see Rei standing at the door with tears in her eyes. She stepped back and shook her head.

"Rei," Saeko said.

She watched as the other girl ran out of the room.

_**(AN: Well this is a different chapter, but for a reason. I do plan on using the idea of HAMC for a while, and I am going to have them helping the SDF, but there is more to it than that. Factions are going to be forming soon, and once they do the group as we know it will be facing some serious decisions. The world has ended, and a new one has been born. Time to see where Alliances stand, and where betrayals will happen.)**_


	14. Chapter 12 WAR

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 12: War**_

_**War means tears  
To thousands of mothers eyes  
When their sons go to fight  
And lose their lives**_

_**I said, war, huh  
Good God, y'all  
What is it good for  
Absolutely nothing  
Say it again**_

_**War, whoa, Lord  
What is it good for  
Absolutely nothing  
Listen to me**_

_**War, it ain't nothing  
But a heartbreaker  
War, friend only to the **__**undertaker**__**  
Ooooh, war  
It's an enemy to all mankind  
The point of war blows my mind  
War has caused unrest  
Within the younger generation  
Induction then destruction  
Who wants to die**__**: Edwin Starr**_

(Emergency Bunker – Clerical Office)

Rei felt the tightening in her chest and closed her eyes.

"_Is this what I put Takashi through? No wonder he is drifting away from me. I had done something like this to him, and then I suddenly want him back,_" she thought.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention and she looked up to see Saeko. The older girl walked toward her and took a seat.

"Leave me alone," Rei said.

"Is that really what you want my battle sister? We've spilled blood together, fought together, kept each other safe. You are like a flesh and blood sister to me. I don't want to cause you pain," Saeko gently said.

"But you're still going to go after Takashi, right?" she asked.

Saeko didn't say a word, but she nodded her head slowly.

"I cannot change what I feel, but I've said before I am willing to share. It was not uncommon for lords to have several wives, or lovers," Saeko answered.

Rei looked at her hands and felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked back up at Saeko who was studying her, not with anger, jealously, but with the same kind of care a sister would have.

"We can't afford to fight over him like a couple of dogs over a bone can we?" Rei asked.

Saeko shook her head.

"No, we can't. The group needs us. Takashi and Hirano are unable to protect us on their own forever. Our weapons master is talented, but he is a single man. Takashi is brave, but again he is only a single man. Together, with us, we can survive anything," she answered.

Rei nodded and then looked at Saeko.

"If he accepts this it means we're going to be sister wives. I… I'm not sure what that will mean for us," she said.

"It means we're simply adding something else to the bond we already have," Saeko replied.

(Emergency Bunker – Generator Room)

The darkened door creaked open and a leather clad figure stepped into it. He studied the room for a moment before he shined a light on the controls. A few moments later he began flipping a few switches and pressed an ignition button. A rumbling sound erupted from the once quiet piece of machinery and it began to come to life. He flipped a set of main breakers and the room itself lit up like Christmas.

Sex Machine smiled at the work he had done and was thankful, for once, that his dad had made him work with him every summer. Everything he learned about mechanical repair, maintenance, and troubleshooting was becoming very useful. He walked out of the generator room and looked at Rika who was studying him.

"With that operating there should be hot water for showers, some lights, and maybe even a chance to use the radio equipment. If your people are close enough you might be able to use it instead of the satellite phone you have," he said.

"How did you know about the phone?" she asked slightly confused.

"Well, the cell towers are basically useless, normal short wave radio signals can travel a pretty good distance, but you stand a pretty good chance of losing signal due to hills, weather, and of course just plain bad luck. Not to mention without a relay you're talking about twenty miles max, unless you have a powerful transmitter, and then you might go further. Of course that doesn't mean you'll be receiving anything if they don't have a powerful enough transmitter," he answered.

She nodded and looked at the communication office. She turned back toward him and stuck out her hand.

"Thank you for your help," she said.

"We're in business together. You've bartered some services from us, and to be honest I think it would be beneficial for the brothers to be in an alliance with the SDF," he said.

"You know the offer still stands. The safe zone is open, and you are all welcome to come with us," she said.

"For now we're good here. We're the line of defense standing between assholes like the Capsules and any normal survivor out here," he said.

Karen walked toward the two of them holding a black medical bag.

"How's the kid?" Sex Machine asked.

"He's holding on. The next twelve hours are the most crucial, but if he can make it through those then he stands a good chance of a full recovery," she said.

"Thank God, I've seen the team together, and they're a damn fine group," Rika said.

"Yeah, seems like they've become something more through this. Karen, how would you like to go to some actual civilization?" Sex machine asked.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"We love having you at the club house, but we both know it's not the best place. In truth you need to be somewhere that you can do some good. That's what Paul wanted when he sent you over here with me. It wasn't just to work the brothers," he answered.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I'll be fine, and so will the brothers. I think that you need to go with them," he said.

"What's really going on Sex Machine?" she asked.

He shook his head and looked up.

"That's part of what Paul loved about you. He couldn't feed you a line of bullshit. There's a war coming. It's not just the Capsules, but it's a lot more. The brothers are holding this area, but we don't know for how long. I don't want you here when hell breaks loose," he said.

"You'll need me here. You'll need me to patch you up," she said.

"No, because we won't let those bastards take you. I don't want it coming to that. Now, if you loved your husband you will go with them, get to their safe zone, and be the doctor your husband believed you were," he replied.

(Emergency Bunker – Garage)

Saya gasped as she felt pull her close. Once Rika had left the Armory the two of them began to crave one another. She wanted to feel him, be part of him, and have him become part of her again, and they had. They had came out to the garage and found a deuce and a half with a covered back. It was quiet, dark, and the perfect place for them to be together. She felt the fleece blankets that had been stored in the truck under her and enjoyed their warmth along with Kohta's.

"I love you," he said as he held her.

"I love you too," she said.

"Something bothering you?" he asked.

"Kohta… what do you think we should do?" she asked.

"You mean about the safe zone. Should we stay there?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I don't know… I mean if the others are like Sergeant Minami I think it would be okay, but regardless I'm going to go where you do," he said.

A soft smile crossed her lips.

"I feel the same about you. I just don't know if they are going to expect us to suddenly become children again," she said.

"We know we're not. That's what matters the most," he replied.

She turned around and looked into his eyes. There was more confidence there than there had been. He was better. There was no other way to say it. He was simply better than he had been.

"You think we should wait until we get there?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Okay," she said as she relaxed on his chest.

(Communications office)

Rika looked at Karen and Sex Machine before she turned on the radio equipment. She checked and made sure the channel was set to the standard channel the SDF used for short range communications and pressed the Mic key.

"This is Black Dahlia calling World Serpent," she said.

For a moment there was nothing except for static but then something sputtered for a moment.

"The world is a stage," a voice said.

"and the people are merely players," she replied.

"Sergeant, I'm surprised to hear you over the short wave. I take it the communications office is still operational," he said.

"It is. Commander, the Sergeant of Arms from the Hells Angels is here," she said.

"Please, allow the man to speak. Sir, thank you for the assistance you have given my team member," the commander said.

"It wasn't a problem. On behalf of the brothers I want to say we look forward to a long and peaceful alliance," Sex Machine said.

"As do we. I understand you may have reservations about coming to the safe zone, but believe me it might be the best course of action. We could use people who know how to survive out here. There's a lot of world to reclaim, and I believe working together is the only way to do it," the commander said.

"I agree, but we can't leave this area unattended. There are survivors here who are depending on us to keep worse than the living dead from having at them," he replied.

"That's the other thing. We will take any survivors, who wish to go, with us," the commander stated.

"I'll talk it over with the brothers. Perhaps we can have a meeting here. That is if you are willing to meet with us," Sex Machine said.

"We're more than willing," the commander said.

"I'll contact them and we'll be here waiting," he replied.

"We're about a day out from that location. Once we get there we'll discuss everything that needs to be discussed. Sergeant, keep us informed," the commander said before the transmission ended.

(Three buildings down from the Emergency Bunker)

The sound of moans and fists slamming against large sheet steel doors could be heard. A man dressed in a red leather vest, black jeans, and red chaps looked at the door in front of him. The Hells Angels had insulted him, and all of the Capsules with their defiance. The number of the living dead they had lured into this warehouse was more than enough to crush their rivals. It would mean their death as well, but such an insult demanded this kind of action.

He grabbed the handle on the door and pulled it back. The dead stumbled out toward the sound of the running generator.

"That's right go eat them!" he screamed.

Several turned toward him and grabbed him before he could run. He felt them biting into him, but he didn't fight it. He knew the cost for what he had done. The others would join in him the pits of hell, and he would be the one laughing.

_**(AN: Well, that's another chapter down. The Capsules seem to decided that screwing everyone over was the best move. Hopefully the Emergency bunker's fence and gates can keep the unwanted guests out. The next chapter will be dealing with the main group more than anything else. Until next time. Keep reading, and please review. LF)**_


	15. Chapter 13 Wild Horses

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 13: Wild Horses**_

_**Childhood living is easy to do  
The things you wanted I bought them for you  
Graceless lady you know who I am  
You know I can't let you slide through my hands  
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away  
Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away**_

I watched you suffer a dull aching pain  
Now you decided to show me the same  
No sweeping exits or off stage lines  
Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind  
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away  
Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away

I know I've dreamed you a sin and a lie  
I have my freedom but I don't have much time  
Faith has been broken tears must be cried  
Let's do some living after we die  
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away  
Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday  
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away  
Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday:_** Rolling Stones**_

(Outside of the Emergency Bunker Gate)

The sound of gunfire caused several of the people from inside of the Emergency Bunker to head outside. Kohta watched as several members of the Hells Angels fired what weapons they had into the huge horde of the living dead which was slowly making their way toward the Emergency Bunker itself. There was no doubt in his mind that those things would overpower the bikers after a few minutes. The simple truth was the living dead simply had greater numbers.

"What the hell?!" Rei shouted.

"Shit, the Capsules unleashed the trap!" Sex Machine shouted as he ran out toward the gate holding a pistol grip double barrel.

""They need to get inside now!" Rika shouted.

"What about the other survivors?" Kohta asked.

The answer to that was an old Toyota van moving toward the gate. Kohta looked at Saya, who was standing beside him, and the two of them opened it. A moment later the van, and most of the bikers, was inside of the gate. The two of them closed it and the moment they did the dead began to press against it.

"This isn't going to hold!" one of the bikers shouted.

"It will for long enough. Everyone that can shoot make sure you have ammunition. We're going to start thinning them out," Rika said.

"What about the ones we don't shoot? They might start crawling on top of the dead ones. If they do they could eventually crawl over the top," one of the bikers said.

"Shit, I didn't think about that," she said.

"Cocktails! Do we have gas or booze here?" Sex Machine asked.

"What? Why?" Rika asked.

"You put gas or booze in a bottle, put in a rag, light it, and toss it. It catches _Them_ on fire. If we have enough we could take care of this entire group," he said.

"Solid plan, so we need to search and see if there is something like that," she said.

"Kohta and I saw a fuel pump in the garage," Saya said.

Rika cocked and eyebrow, but kept her thoughts to herself.

"Okay, let's drench these fuckers!" Sex Machine shouted.

(The Makeshift Operating room)

Takashi groaned as he sat up. His entire side felt tight, and it felt like someone had placed a hot poker into his side. He gritted his teeth and slowly stood. He started to walk, and felt himself stumble. His hand shot out for the bed and he felt himself kneeling beside it.

"_I… I need to be out there with them. I know they're protecting all of us, and I can't stand by and doing nothing,_" he thought.

He struggled to his feet and saw a buxom blond shake her head.

"No, you are getting back in bed," Miss Shizuka said.

"They need me," he replied.

"Yes, they do, but not right now. Right now you would be in the way. The best thing for you to do is rest. They're handling it right now," she said as she helped him to the bed.

"I've got to go help them…" he said weakly.

"Takashi, you can barely stand. If you go out there you will get hurt. Right now you need to get better," she stated and made him lay down.

(Outside near the gate)

A long length of hose stretched out toward the gate and Saya watched as the bikers worked together to ensure it was connected. A moment later one of them held on to the front while the hose stretched, filled, and spat the fuel out. They drenched the living dead with the fuel and then cut it off.

"So you fucks, is that gasoline I smell?" Sex Machine asked as he flicked open his Zippo lighter and tossed it.

The dumped fuel ignited and roared to life. They watched as the fire spread from the firsts all the way to where the fuel had stretched. Sex Machine looked at Rika who was watching it.

"Makes you feel like Dante doesn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, it does feel like staring straight into the Inferno," she replied.

The bodies burned and banged against the fence, but slowly they began to drop. The heat of the fire radiated off of the burning corpses and the smell was revolting in its own right. Rika looked at the number of the dead that had been taken out. It wasn't all of them, but it was a huge amount of them gone. All they would have to do is deal with the others and wait for reinforcements to arrive.

"Where did you learn that trick, and please don't tell me that you saw it on T.V," she said.

"I learned it when I was still in the Marines. We needed an area Napalmed, and there wasn't any support coming. There was a working fuel station. We drenched the ground, everything else around that needed to be, and then got a safe distance before we lit the fire. I'm not proud of the things I did in the sandbox, but I learned a few things from them," he said.

She nodded. It wasn't like she was exactly clean either. Her attention went to the areas where the fuel didn't reach. There was several of the living dead, but not near enough to force the gate down, or at least not for the moment.

"Is this all the Capsules had saved back?" she asked.

"Our info is a little sketchy, but no. From what I've heard they had another large group, at least, saved back somewhere else. If there is any more of them left they might try to let them run loose too," Sex Machine said.

"This little trick might work again," Rika said.

"Against those things, sure it will work as long as we have fuel. But if any of the Capsules watched what we did I can almost promise they will attempt to make sure we can't do it again," he replied.

"So we need to pull guard duty," she stated.

"Should be enough of us to pull about four hour shifts, two people, and it mean we only repeat once," he replied.

"Sounds good," she said.

She started walking off and he watched her. He had to admit that he admired the fire she had for what she did.

"I'm going to go check on Takashi and Alice," Saeko said.

"I'll join you," Rei replied.

Once they were gone Kohta looked at Saya and pulled her close. She leaned into him and looked at the bikers around them. She had expected to see a lot more men, but the group was actually pretty evenly split between women and men. One of the girls walked toward Kohta. She studied him and smiled.

"I saw you pop one of those things from back here. That was a hell of a shot," she stated.

"Thanks," he replied.

"Masaki, but we're all friends here. Just call me Yuri," she said.

"Thank you. I'm Kohta," he said.

"The Angels could use a good long distance man. Maybe you should think about it," she said.

"He's spoken for!" Saya shouted.

The green haired girl looked at her and broke out into a laugh. She bent almost double before she straightened out.

"That's fine. Glad to know you've got the stones to place claim on him. You better keep him happy though. A good man is hard to find, and most of us would be more than happy to have a good man who is able to shoot like him," she said before she walked off.

"Saya…" he started to say before she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the group.

The green haired girl watched and elbowed another one. They watched as Saya pulled Kohta out of sight.

"Where are they going?" the other girl asked.

"She's going mark her territory," the green haired girl said.

(Makeshift operation room)

Alice looked at Takashi and touched his hand. He looked toward the little girl and smiled at her.

"Have you been good?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've listened to everything everyone told me, and I've helped out a bunch," she said.

"That's a good girl. How has Zeke been?" he asked.

"He's been really good!" she exclaimed.

"That's good. Do you mind taking Zeke for a little walk inside of the building. I bet that he would like that," Takashi said.

"Okay, I'll be back in a little while," she said.

She walked out the door and Rei turned her attention back to Takashi.

"So, are you both serious?" he asked.

"Takashi, neither of us wants to be without you. It is the best answer my love," Saeko answered.

"What about your mother Rei? What does she think about this?" he asked.

"Mom's been so busy with everything else that I'm barely in her vision anymore. She'll accept it or she won't," Rei said.

"Rest my love, and we will speak more of this later," Saeko said.

They walked out and Saeko looked at Rei who was near her.

"You seem uncertain," Saeko said.

"I'm willing for this, but I don't want him to be uncomfortable," she replied.

"I know, he will come around to it," Saeko said.

(Clerical Office)

Shizuka closed the door behind her. The office was across from the operation/recovery room she had set up. She could easily look through the blinds and see Takashi if she needed to. She leaned back into a chair and held a Styrofoam cup full of hot tea. It had been a blessing she found the tea packets, and they had hot water. She drank a little before the door opened. She looked up to see Sex Machine walking inside.

"Oh, Damn… I'm sorry," he said.

"No it's all right. I was just taking a break," she replied.

"Karen says you seem to know your stuff," he said.

"That's sweet of her. To be honest I was very close to becoming a doctor before this happened," she said.

"I'll give you some space," he started to turn when she cleared her throat.

"I didn't say you had to leave," she said.

"I just figured you didn't want to sit down to tea with someone like me," he replied.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Don't know. It's just the usual kind of response," he said.

"Well, I don't mind. Besides you've been nothing but nice to all of us," she said.

He smiled and took a seat across from her. She pulled out a Styrofoam cup and the picture of Tea she had made. She poured him a cup and passed it to him.

"Thanks," he said.

They began to drink when she looked at him.

"How did you get that handle?" she asked.

"Sex Machine? When I had a girlfriend we fucked for about six hours straight. One of the brothers remarked that I was a machine. The name just kind of stuck," he said.

"Six hours… How did you not get sore?" she asked.

"Wow… That's not the usual question I get… Actually we were. She couldn't wear anything except for sweats for about two days, and I had to wear some loose pants and go commando," he replied.

"You still have a girlfriend?" she asked.

"Naw. Jade and I broke up. She wanted to date someone else, and instead of being a bastard about it I agreed. It really wasn't about anything other than sex anyway," he said before he took a drink, "Any reason you're asking?"

"I just think you're a good man, and I wouldn't mind having a shot at you," she said.

When she said that he spat his tea out and caused her to giggle.

(Garage – Supply office)

Kohta looked at the body of the woman he was in love with. She had brought him back into the supply office, proceeded to screw the holy hell out of him, and left several scratches on his back. He had heard about girls being possessive, but this was the first time he had really been on the receiving end of it. He kissed the back of her neck and felt her stir a little.

"Mmmmm… That felt good," she said.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"It is now… I wanted them to know that we belonged to each other," she said with a slight yawn.

_**(AN: Well another chapter down. I'll try to get the deleted scene up. Expect to see some Takashi and Saeko scenes next chapter. I'm also going to work with a couple ideas I've been having about Sex Machine and Shizuka. Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this so far. I've been having a blast writing it. Thanks,**_

_**LF)**_


	16. Chapter 14 People are Strange

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 14: People are Strange**_

_**People are strange when you're a stranger **_

_**Faces look ugly when you're alone **_

_**Women seem wicked when you're unwanted **_

_**Streets are uneven when you're down **_

_**When you're strange **_

_**Faces come out of the rain **_

_**When you're strange **_

_**No one remembers your name **_

_**When you're strange **_

_**When you're strange **_

_**When you're strange **_

_**People are strange when you're a stranger **_

_**Faces look ugly when you're alone **_

_**Women seem wicked when you're unwanted **_

_**Streets are uneven when you're down:**__** The Doors**_

(Emergency Bunker – Near the front Gate)

Yuri pulled a cigarette out of her pack of Silk Cuts and lit it. The sweet taste of the tabacco settled in her mouth for a moment before she breathed it down to her lungs. She let her breath out through her nostils and leaned against a light pole while she watched the fence.

"See anything?" Sex Machine asked as he neared her.

"Just a few of those damned things. Nothing too special," she commented.

"Good, as long as those fucks are out there then we're fine," he said.

She nodded and stretched.

"God I need to get laid," she said.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked.

"Naw, hell Miu is fun as hell, but I could use a man," she answered.

"Thinking about checking out the safe zone in order to scratch that itch?" he asked.

She grinned and shook her head.

"I'm going to figure out how you do that, but yeah. If they're taking the survivors then there really isn't any reason for us to hang out here," she said.

"I don't know. I like the freedom out here," Sex Machine said.

"All freedom comes with a price, and who's to say there won't be freedom in the safe zone?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and fished a cigarette out of his own pack.

"I suppose," he said as he lit it, "I just remember a lot of rules and killing because some suit in Washington wanted me to instead of doing it for the right reasons," he replied.

"Yeah, I know the military can leave a bad taste in a person's mouth, but it might be different," she said.

He looked toward the gate and watched as the living dead pushed against it. The smell coming off of them was beginning to turn to a sort of rotting meat smell. Surprisinly it reminded him of home, or home before he had joined the military. The sound of his drunken father cursing him, his little sister, their mother, and then soft thumps of the beating the old drunk would give his mother. God saw fit to remove the old bastard from his sister's and his life, but not before their mother died. He shook his head and looked toward the monsters standing there.

"It's funny how seeing one monster reminds you of another," he said.

Yuri looked at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"You're a strange one," she said.

He shrugged his shoulders and dropped the cigarette after taking another drag off of it. He stubbed it out with his foot and took a step toward the living dead.

"I suppose I am, but then I think anyone that's left is strange," he replied.

He began to walk away, and began to hum. Yuri watched him and sighed.

"I miss hearing music," she said, "So, what song is that?"

"People are Strange. It seems to fit," he said as he walked around the fence.

She followed him for a bit until they neared the main building of the Emergency Bunker. He walked toward Rika who was looking through one of the manuals.

"Just a lot of the dead out there," he said.

"Good, I'll take the next watch. Thanks," she said.

He nodded and stretched his arms.

"You might want to stand downwind to them. They're beginning to stink," he said.

"Thanks for the advice," she replied before she tapped Kohta's shoulder.

"Ready for some guard duty?" she asked.

Saya watched her and Rika shook her head.

"Again, not moving in on your territory, but I need an extra head, and I would like to see how he handles himself," she said.

Saya seemed to think about it for a moment and nodded. Kohta smiled and kissed her.

"I'll be back in a few hours," he said.

"Be careful," she said.

"You know it's obvious that boy is crazy about you. I don't think you need to be showing how territorial you are," Yuri said.

"I've just recently realized how much I love him. I don't want to lose him now," she replied.

"Love is funny like that. It has a vicious appetite and it loves to eat everything. It will devour family, friends, finances, everything if you let it. But if you feed it right, temper it correctly, and treat it with the tenderness it needs it can be a beautiful thing. It becomes the sort of thing that the poets talk about. When that happens you know the love you have is something which will last for the rest of your life," Yuri said.

Saya looked at the female biker with her mouth a gaped. She tried to find some way to respond, but to be honest she hadn't considered the idea that someone like Yuri could come up with advice like that on the spot.

"Anyway, you better get some rest. I'm sure your turn at guard duty is going to come around pretty soon," she said before she stepped off.

Saya watched her leave and leaned against part of the wall. It had been so hard to admit what she felt for Kohta. With Komuro it had been different. She thought she was attracted to him, but he sort of felt like a brother. Not exactly a smarter brother, but just a brother. Still, Kohta had done something more. He saved, time and time again, and he did it when he didn't have to. When she gave herself to him it was because she wanted to. She wanted to experience everything with him. Her eyes moved through the area and she watched various groups of people sitting beside each other. Some were obviously couples and holding on to each other like it could be the last day they had. She looked toward the door Kohta walked out of and realized how much she felt the same way.

(Clerical Office)

Sex Machine walked into the office and took a seat in the leather chair behind the desk. It was comfortable, but at the same time it wasn't something he would really enjoy sitting in for long periods of time. He looked around the room and studied the glow of the of florcient lights which were set to dim. He heard a shuffling sound and turned toward the corner where someone was sitting up.

"Oh, I'm sorry I was just sleeping," Shizuka said.

She looked toward Sex Machine who breathed out a relieved sigh.

"I hated to think that you had turned into one of those _things_," he said.

She smiled and walked toward him. There was something on her face he had seen once. It had been before he dated Jade, and back when he was in Iraq. The memory of Katie, one of the soldiers there with him, and how she looked at him with a mix of respect and lust was still fresh in his mind. She leaned down and kissed him. It was sweet, lustful, and everything a man should want, but there was something else there as well. It had started as simple attraction, and he knew it, but it was the knowledge she wanted to take a step toward something more.

"Marikawa-Sama, are you sure? I'm not exactly a man of well standing," he said.

"Don't do that. Don't think that I'm any better than you are. You've been taking care of people in this area, keeping them safe, keeping those who would hurt them from doing so, and you've done it without any reservations. That makes you a very good man, and someone I am interested in. Now, are you going to refuse this, or can we come together for a while?" she asked as she pressed against him.

"I never could refuse a beautiful woman," he replied.

They kissed once more and he felt her pulling the jacket and old Harley Davidson shirt off of him. Her hands gently felt of the scars that covered him. Places from battles ranging from the military to the wars between the Angels and the Mongols. She touched each one with a single finger. It almost seemed as if she was memorizing them like a person would a road map. She leaned back and pulled her own blouse off. His eyes instantly went straight to the impressive set of breasts she sported.

"Oh my God you're huge," he said.

"I know," she replied.

The words were arrogance, but a simple acknowledgement of the fact. His hands moved up her sides. He wanted to take his time, feel her, experience her, and by any god there love her the way she needed it.

(Operating room)

Takashi sat up and looked at the ground. He felt better, but he was still weak. He wasn't sure if it was normal to be this weak after being shot or not. He heard the door open and looked to see Saeko walking toward him.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Better. Is everything going well outside?" he asked.

"For the moment everything is fine," she said before she knelt down, "I'm sorry I caused this."

He looked at her confused.

"It was my fault you were shot. We nearly lost you, and if it had not been for Minami-Sama I fear we would have lost you completely. She was able to get the medical supplies we needed, and then she bartered with some people in order to get another doctor to help Marikawa. I don't think I could have stood losing you," she confessed.

"Don't ever do this again," he stated.

She looked up at him to see his face in a grimace.

"I don't ever want to see you prostate yourself before me or anyone ever again," he said.

She stood and looked into his eyes. He couldn't ignore what he saw, and he didn't try to. Instead he pulled her close and kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss and he felt the softer side of her come through it. They broke the kiss and she crawled onto the bed Shizuka had prepared for him. He draped his arm over her and breathed in her scent.

"I love you," he said.

"I know, and I love you too," she replied.

Slowly they began to fall into a peaceful sleep together.

(Near the gate)

Kohta watched the dark and looked beyond the living dead which had stopped moving against the gate, and were instead simply standing around. He had become aware of his surroundings some time ago, and he could feel something different. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like something was waiting in the dark for them. He breathed out an even breath and began to turn his head when he saw a single flash. He studied the area for a moment, and held up his hand giving a signal toward Rika. She looked in the direction he was studying and watched. Once more there was a flash and she narrowed her eyes. Someone was watching them.

Kohta moved toward her slowly as if he was studying the dead.

"Think it is that other biker gang?" he asked.

"More than likely it is. Reinforcements should be here in a couple of hours. If it comes down to it we can make a stand without them, but I hate to think of what they might be planning," she said.

"Sex Machine said something about them having more of those walking corpses held up somewhere. They might be waiting for the reinforcements to come and let them loose," he suggested.

"It crossed my mind, but unfortunately they don't realize the kind of force the commander is bringing. If they do let more of those things out I have no doubt we'll be able to handle it," she said.

"What about those things and them?" Kohta asked.

"The living pose more of a problem, but then again these guys don't seem like brain surgeons. Nothing in their fighting tells me that they have much more planned than sending the dead to stop us," she answered.

_**(AN: and another chapter down. I want to thank everyone for reading. The Emergency Bunker/Capsule War Arc ends next chapter. For those who are wondering I 'borrowed' the Capsule gang from Akira. I had considered making it the clowns, but that's a little too close to Batman Beyond for my taste. Now… for those of you who are waiting for a Takashi and Saeko love scene. Don't worry. It is coming. The next chapter is going skip ahead a bit, and we're going to get a nice scene between Takashi and Saeko. We're also going to witness a few other smaller things. That said… I want to do something special for everyone who has been reading and reviewing. So please, if you have a suggestion, or an idea for the story, and you would like to see it come to part let me know. I will choose one to include in the main story, and the others will be added at the end of the story as alternate versions. Also, I want to extend something else. If anyone wants to borrow from this story I don't mind. Just let me know. That said please, enjoy, review, and be happy.**_

_**LF)**_


	17. Chapter 15 Take A Walk

_**(AN: Basic Info: I do not own Highschool of the Dead. I do not own any of the characters from this fantastic series. I am merely a chubby Otaku who likes Zombie movies, anime, stories, comics, and of course the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide. Much Love for ya: LF)**_

_**Brand New World**_

_**Chapter – 15: Take A Walk**_

_**Come on baby, let's take a walk  
Don't be shy, you don't have to talk  
Let's go baby, come with me  
Take a line to mystery**_

Come on baby and duck inside  
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide  
Better get movin', don't be slow  
All you gotta do is go-go-go

'Don't go out!', your father cried  
But you took a walk with suicide  
'Don't go out!', your father cried  
But you took a walk with suicide

I found out a long time ago  
But I didn't have a place to go  
Live for danger in the night  
Live the life I know is right

Come on baby, what's to fear?  
The time to come, the time is near  
Don't you wait till it's too late  
Take a chance and meet with fate:_** Tall Boys**_

(Three blocks down from the Emergency Bunker – Abandoned Apartment Complex)

"Is this everybody?" a young looking man asked.

"Yeah, Daichi died letting those things out, Akako was shot down by the Angels, and Den blew his brains out last night. It's just us," a younger boy answered.

"Fine, Chokichi, I want you to go to the fish cannery. Open it up and let those things out we have in there. Daigoro, You're our best shooter. Get up in the window across from the street from them and fire when they try to use that fuel again. I'll see what I can do about sneaking inside and setting their fuel tanks on fire," the young looking man said.

"Why don't we take the place from them? I mean they have fuel, it's a safe place, why not just take it and kill them in the process?" Chokichi asked.

"Because, they've tainted it just by being there, and there is no way the three of us could take it over in a straight fight. No, those bastards need to know that this is Capsule territory, and it will always be Capsule Territory!" he shouted.

The other two nodded and agreement and then the three of them stepped out into the world and separated to go and do their own parts. Daigoro ran behind the buildings across from the Emergency Bunker and found the one closest to where he would be shooting from. It didn't take long for him to climb up the fire escape and then onto the roof. It would be just like playing Grand Theft Auto 4. He would find a good place to snipe those bastards and they would never know what hit them. He found a corner of the roof and took a knee.

"Come on Chokichi, let our friends loose. I want to watch these assholes scream," Daigoro said to himself.

(Fish Cannery)

The smell of rotting fish and the rotting corpses inside caused Daigoro to gag. The vents had been opened inside when the power went out, and they had remained open since. It gave the entire place a horrid odor to begin with, and that was what made everything think of this place to hide the living dead. The smell could be excused as the rotting fish and no one would be the wiser. He grabbed the side door of the Cannery building and pulled it open. The moans from inside seemed to echo and he slammed his fist on the door frame getting the attention of the living dead inside.

"Come on you fucks! This way!" he yelled.

The living dead began to stagger toward him. Their slow walk made Daigoro angry at them for more than being what they were. He would stop and yell curses at them, partly to get their attention, but mainly to release some of the anger he felt bottled up toward the living dead. It wouldn't take them long to get to the Emergency Bunker, and for a moment he wondered if he would come out of this alive. He shook his head casting off the childish hope of seeing another day. It didn't matter. There was no more bright sunny days to be had. The world was over, and he knew it. It was eat or be eaten, and if he had to be eaten today at least he would be taking a bunch of Angelic assholes with him.

He stopped near the corner of the last block and watched the shambling, shuffling, and moaning corpses as they made their way toward him. The question he had of wither he would be shot, or if the living dead would catch him crossed his mind. Knowing that either way he would be dying for the honor of the Capsules he tried to make himself feel some pride. Tried, and failed miserably. He didn't want to die like this. He didn't want it to end by the dead fucks eating him, or by a bullet from a stranger. He whipped off his jacket and tossed it to the ground.

"Fuck this!" he yelled.

He stretched out his arms and felt free. For the first time in days he felt truly free, and then felt fingers around his arm. He pulled, despritely, but the grip that had him refused to let go. Teeth dug into his flesh and he let out the last and longest scream of his life.

(Top of the building across from the Emergency Bunker)

Daigoro watched as the living dead neared the fenced off Emergency Bunker. He knew the occupants inside would remain quiet in the hopes that the group of the living dead would simply walk around them. He wasn't going to let that happen. The dead began walking past the gate and he fired a shot toward the purple headed woman that had stood against them. He watched as the bullet missed her and cursed. It was supposed to be easy. He was supposed to be able to look down at her through the scope and hit her. Instead the shot had been off. He took aim once again, but this time a glint caught his eye. He turned to see another rifle and scope looking back at him. He pulled his trigger, to fast, and missed the shot. He watched as the other rifle spouted a flash and flame out of its barrel. The entire thing happened so fast, and yet it was so slow. He saw the bullet traveling toward him. His entire body refused to move as it traveled through the scope, and it wasn't until it embedded itself in his head did his body finally fall back.

(behind the Emergency Bunker)

The last member of the Capsules clipped the links of the cyclone fence until he had a large enough hole to fit through. He moved inside and grinned knowing the entire group was focused on the dead and hopefully with Daigoro as well. He moved toward the building he had spotted the hose coming out of the other day and looked inside. It looked almost completely empty and that meant he could go and ignite the tanks. He grabbed his extra shirt, he had brought for this, and rolled it into a makeshift fuse.

He moved toward the tank and found the connection for filling them. He opened the lid and began stuffing the shirt into it.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" a woman shouted.

He turned around and shot at her with his pistol. She jumped and then something barked back at him. He felt the piercing sting of hot lead and looked at his now bleeding gut. It didn't matter. He fished for a lighter and felt another sting hit him. He looked at the girl, now grasping her side, as she fired again. It hurt, but not as badly as before. It was getting hard to breathe though. It almost felt like he was trying to breathe through water. He fired again hitting her and she fired another time. It felt like everything just left him and he fell to his knees. The girl neared him, limping, and held her gun on him.

"Fucking Angel," he said through the blood in his mouth.

"Bastard," she said.

He closed his eyes and suddenly everything turned completely black.

(Outside of the garage)

Sex Machine had heard the sound of the gun fire and ran toward it. He looked as Yuri limped toward him. He could see the wet spots on her shirt and knew that she was bleeding to death.

"Let's get the doc to look at you," he said.

"Say… Why didn't you ever go for me?" she asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

"I gave you all of the signs. I basically did everything except for fish your cock out and suck it. So, why didn't you?" she asked.

He felt her knees giving away and sunk to the floor with her.

"I didn't because I'm not a fucking bastard. I'm just the normal kind. You needed someone who was going to do more than just dick you once in a while. I couldn't do that," he said as he stroked her hair.

"You know… Dying… It sucks," she said as she coughed.

"I know it does," he replied.

"That girl… The one you don't talk about much… She died didn't she?" she asked.

He nodded as he held her.

"You think you could maybe pretend I was her for a moment? Give me a good send off?" she asked.

He looked at her and knew what she was asking. He kissed her, tasting the coppery blood in her mouth. She wrapped her arms around him and held on. She held on knowing that she wasn't going to be around for much longer. Her arms began to loosen, and finally the fell.

"So… that's what it's like to be kissed by a man… I should have…" she said as her eyes rolled back in her head.

"Yuri… YURI!" he screamed.

He could hear people running toward him, but he held her close despite it. She hadn't asked for this. It was true that like him she lived by the sword, so to speak, but she didn't ask to go out so badly. He felt someone touch him and he looked into Shizuka's eyes. The blond woman knelt down beside him and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him close and cried along with him as the sounds of flame, gun fire, and trucks filled the air.

(Safe Zone – New Elvis – Two weeks later)

Takashi watched as the members of the Hells Angels, which had come with them, fit into the new roles they chose. Most of them were remaining soldiers, in a sense, and all of them offered to use their skills at motorcycles. He also watched Sex Machine, whose real name was Tom Savivi, became closer to Miss Shizuka. The blond nurse had taken a real shine to the man, and it did him good to watch her. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck and a kiss land on the top of his head.

"It's not such a bad place," Rei said as she leaned on him.

"No, it's not," he said.

He began to stand up and she looked at him and then down at the ground.

"I know it's going to come to a choice isn't it," she said.

"Rei…" he began.

She shook her head and looked toward where Saeko was practicing with her sword. It was obvious, more than obvious, how in awe everyone was of her. She studied Takashi and sighed lightly.

"It's only fair I suppose," she said with remorse in her voice.

"What's only fair?" he asked.

"Saya's right, you are an idiot," she replied.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

She shook her head and looked up.

"Never mind," she said.

She walked toward a small temple like house they were using and stepped inside. A few moments later Takashi felt another hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Kiriko standing behind him.

"Are you going to make my daughter cry?" she asked.

"Ummm… It's not my intention," he said.

She rolled her eyes and took a seat on the cement curb. She patted it and motioned for him to join her.

"Rei has screwed up a lot. I love her, but she has. She left you for someone else, and despite the character of the other boy it was wrong to do so. I want to be giving you hell, and telling you how you can't not chose her, but the truth is you have every reason not to. Takashi, you're going to have to decide what to do, and you will have to make it clear. Regardless of what happens Rei will survive," she said.

He nodded and watched as the older woman stood up.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Me, I'll hold on to hope that Tadashi is still alive. If he is, and if he comes back I plan on ravishing him for days. If it turns out that his life has been snubbed out I will cry, I will morn, and I will do my best to move on. This isn't the same world we once had," she answered.

He watched as she left and turned his attention back to Saeko. He closed his eyes and pictured Rei and Saeko next to each other. Did he have feelings for Rei? Yes, but not like they were. He didn't love her like he expected to. In truth they had become really good friends, and maybe that was all they would ever be. He tried to push that idea away, but it wouldn't leave. He didn't see Rei in the same light anymore. He wanted to, but he couldn't. He opened his eyes and looked at Saeko. The choice had been made already, and he was just now realizing it.

He walked toward her and she stopped her training as he neared her.

"Takash…" she began before he kissed her.

The kiss was hungry, filled with need, crying out for more, and she gave all she had. She melted into his kiss and the two of them headed toward the house. It began fast, but it slowed, became more tender, and less about the feverish need to feel each other. When it ended there was a glow that dripped off of them both.

"I love you," she said.

"And I love you too. I think I have ever since the temple," he admitted.

"I feel the same, but what about Rei? Is she still going to be my sister wife?" she asked.

"I… I don't know," he admitted.

"Whatever you do be sure it is done in love. She deserves that," Saeko said.

_**(AN: Well, that's where I'm leaving this off. Deleted Scenes will have the scene between Takashi and Saeko in it. As for the thing with Rei, to be honest I had something else in mind for her. The idea came to me when I was playing Dead Rising, and I think that it will fit with her. Or rather the character I'm designing will fit with her. That said… I hope everyone liked this chapter. I wanted to end the Capsule Wars pretty close to how the characters wanted it done, so it worked out fairly well. Again, thanks for reading, reviewing, and enjoying it. I hope to see a few more reviews, and thanks again. The main reason for doing this is for everyone who has been enjoying it.**_

_**LF)**_


	18. Notice

_**(AN: Okay, for everyone that has been following this, thank you. Thank you so much, and don't worry this isn't getting discontinued. I'm going to be working on this story, along with the others I have going, and keep putting them out. However, I'm getting closer to the date of a Reading, Q 'n A, and Book Signing for my first novel. There's a million and one things I have to do, and all of them demand a lot of attention. Brand New World, my Highschool of the Dead story, has been a blast to write, and mainly because it's been an experiment in thought writing. That's something I haven't tried before, and for the most part I liked it. That said, there are some problems with the story, after I read it through, that needs to be addressed. Not worry, I will be addressing them. I'll finish out this version of Brand New Day first, and then I'll do a better edited, more traditional version which will be Brand New Day Version 2, or whatever it decides to be named.**_

_**I want to thank all of you again, and please know that I am not leaving things unfinished. I just need to take a couple of weeks to get all of this business in order before I can write, purely, for fun again. Although the truth be told anytime you write it's for fun. If you have any questions, suggestions, or anything else please don't hesitate to use the review button, or PM me. I do attempt to get back to everyone. It might take a while, but I make the effort. **_

_**Until next time, May the Force be with you,**_

_**LF)**_


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